Here’s a pearl of wisdom. After 360 years, an art historian has allegedly solved one of art history’s most enduring mysteries — the identity of the subject in the “Girl With a Pearl Earring” painting.

For 360 years, her pensive stare has captivated all who have fixed their eyes on hers. But as for who the muse in Johannes Vermeer's 1665 work Girl with a Pearl Earring actually was, that has been an ...