‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ in Japan, perhaps for the last time

The 17th-century masterpiece "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer is set to travel to Japan for a rare exhibition, potentially marking its last time in the country. The painting will be displayed at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka from Friday, while its home museum, the Mauritshuis in The Hague, undergoes maintenance until September 20.

Mauritshuis' director Martine Gosselink expressed excitement about sharing the painting with the Japanese public, stating that it would be a special opportunity to reach the Japanese audience, perhaps for the very last time. The museum typically does not loan the painting due to its significance, but the renovations have allowed it to travel.

Japanese fans of the museum frequently visit, and other nations, including China, Singapore, and South Korea, have also expressed interest in loaning the painting. Gosselink emphasized that Japan deserved the painting due to its large fan base and love for Vermeer's work, particularly "Girl with a Pearl Earring." The Osaka exhibition, running through September 27, will showcase a dozen paintings from the Mauritshuis collection, including other Vermeer and Rembrandt works.

Dubbed the "Mona Lisa of the North," the original painting is known for its enigmatic expression and has gained global fame since inspiring a best-selling novel and a Hollywood film. The last loan of the painting was in 2023 to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Osaka show will be the fourth visit to Japan for the painting, following previous exhibitions in Tokyo in 1984, 2012, and 2012-2014, which collectively attracted over 1.2 million visitors.

The Mauritshuis will reopen at the end of September, with the "Girl" returning to its home on October 1.