Delft, Holland, 1665. Seventeen-year old Griet must work to support her family and becomes a maid in the house of Johannes Vermeer, where she gradually attracts the master painter's attention. Johannes and Griet must hide their inspiration of each other from his volatile wife Catharina. The wealthy and troublemaking Master van Ruijven sense the intimacy between the artist and his maid and contrives a commission for Vermeer to paint Griet alone. The result will be one of the greatest paintings ever created, but at what cost?

Scarlett Johansson wonderfully portrays the purity of innoncence in a time when even the slightest look was considered indecent. Unfortunately, Colin Firth seems once again to be pigeonholed into playing the brooding love interest.