The Osaka Nakanoshima Museum of Art will host the exhibition “Vermeer’s *Girl with a Pearl Earring*: Masterpieces of 17th-Century Dutch Painting—A Miraculous Return to Japan” from August 21 to September 27. In this article, we’ll take you through the press briefing and preview event held the day before the opening.
This marks the first time in 14 years that “Girl with a Pearl Earring” has come to Japan. The exhibition will feature 12 17th-century Dutch paintings from the collection of the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague, Netherlands, including two works by Johannes Vermeer.
The first half of the exhibition features 10 works by artists other than Vermeer, organized into six chapters by genre. Four of these works are being shown in Japan for the first time.
After exploring the Golden Age of 17th-century Dutch painting, visitors proceed to the “Vermeer Theater,” which features a massive 20-meter-wide screen. Before viewing the actual works, visitors can learn about Vermeer’s life and the historical context in which his works were created.
Beyond the theater lies the “Johannes Vermeer” area, where life-size reproductions of all 37 of Vermeer’s works are displayed in a row.
In the final room, visitors will find two works: the early mythological painting *Diana and the Nymphs*, believed to have been painted when he was around 23, and the *Girl with a Pearl Earring*, the highlight of this exhibition.
Inside the venue, photography without a flash is permitted only for the two Vermeer works. By gaining a solid understanding of the background information beforehand, you’ll be able to appreciate the charm of these masterpieces even more deeply when you stand before them in person.
In addition, junior panels featuring “Miffy,” the exhibition’s official ambassador, explaining the highlights of the works have been set up throughout the venue. Careful thought has gone into ensuring that people of all ages—from adults to children—can enjoy the world of these famous paintings, even if they are not familiar with Western art.
The “Vermeer Shop” located at the exit of the exhibition hall offers a wide variety of merchandise exclusive to this exhibition. Purchases are limited to one item per person per product. A ticket for this exhibition is required to enter the shop, and each person may enter the shop only once. Details will be provided in a separate article (to be published at a later date).
Martine Gosseling, director of the Mauritshuis, and others took the stage at the press briefing. Director Gosseling mentioned that the museum in the Netherlands, her home country, is undergoing renovations and explained the background behind the exhibition and Japan’s selection as the host country, stating, “If there is any country to which we would lend our works, it can only be Japan, with whom we share a long-standing friendship.” “It feels as if I were entrusting my own daughter to Japan. It is precisely because it is the people of Japan that I can entrust her to them with peace of mind,” she said with a smile.
In addition, Tomoko Ogawa, Chief Curator at the Osaka Nakanoshima Museum of Art, revealed that this exhibition was a last-minute offer that would normally have been difficult to accommodate, sharing the behind-the-scenes story that “it coincided with a period when we were significantly reorganizing our exhibition schedule,” which made it possible to accept the proposal. “I was very surprised when I was informed of the decision to hold the exhibition, but this special opportunity is a great joy for our museum,” she said.
© Source travel watch