The Mauritshuis Museum has teamed up with Dutch researchers to probe emotional responses to Vermeer's "Girl With Pearl Earring."

The Girl with the Pearl Earring has become one of the most famous portraits in the world, second possibly to the Mona Lisa.

When you stand in front of Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl With The Pearl Earring,” something extraordinary happens in your brain. The 17th-century Dutch painting has long mesmerized viewers, but scientists now believe they’ve uncovered the reason behind its allure. It turns out, the secret lies in the unique way your brain interacts with the painting.

Johannes Vermeer's "Girl With The Pearl Earring" is one of the world's most popular paintings -- and now scientists believe they know why, by measuring how the brain reacts when the work is viewed.However,

The study also found that when volunteers looked at five works of art in the Hague’s Mauritshuis museum, their brains responded ten times more positively than when they viewed reproductions

Vermeer's "Girl with the Pearl Earring" on display at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, has for centuries captivated those coming to view her. Scientists say they have unlocked the secret of admirers' fascination with the famous painting,

Much about the Johannes Vermeer portrait, which is believed to have been painted around 1665, is unknown - but now brain scans have been used to unlock some of the secrets behind the painting.