AS part of the UK-wide autumn Museums at Night festival, Scarborough Art Gallery is screening Girl with a Pearl Earring: And Other Treasures from the Mauritshuis, a look at the mysteries that surround the creation of Johannes Vermeer’s famous painting.

The film, from Seventh Art Productions, will be shown in the gallery at 7.30pm on Friday. Tickets are free.

Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of the most enduring paintings in the history of art. A recent world tour had huge queues lining up for a glimpse. This beautifully filmed documentary goes in pursuit of the many unresolved riddles surrounding this extraordinary piece.

Enjoying exclusive access, the film goes on a journey to answer the many questions surrounding this enigmatic painting and its mysterious creator, Vermeer. Many of the answers lie in the other masterpieces housed in the collection and now that the gallery has completed its recent complete and highly complex makeover the film can go behind-the-scenes on something of a detective journey. Who was this girl? Why and how was it painted? Why is it so revered?

Among Seventh Art’s many other films are major series such as the BBC’s I Caesar – the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire and Sky Arts’ Tim Marlow art series. Seventh Art has also made six award-winning history films with Monty Python’s Terry Jones.

Museums at Night takes place from tomorrow (Thursday) to Saturday. Twice a year, not-for-profit cultural publisher Culture24 invites all UK museums, galleries and heritage sites to throw open their doors after hours to showcase their treasures in unexpected ways.

Scarborough Art Gallery is open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 10am to 5pm. A £3 pass gains free entry for a year to both the gallery and the Rotunda Museum.

To book free tickets for Girl with a Pearl Earring: And Other Treasures from the Mauritshuis, phone 01723 374753, or visit scarboroughmuseumstrust.com