Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ is coming to Osaka – and only Osaka

In what might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Johannes Vermeer’s iconic Girl with a Pearl Earring will be exhibited at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art from August 21 to September 27. Even better: it’s coming to Osaka and nowhere else.

This is only the second time the 17th-century masterpiece, one of the most recognisable artworks in history, has left its home at the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague for Japan, and the first in 14 years. 

When it last appeared in the country – in Tokyo in 2012, for the grand reopening of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum – it drew a staggering 1.2 million visitors. As a rule, the Mauritshuis doesn’t loan out the painting, making this Osaka exhibition all the more exceptional.

The timing is fortuitous: the Dutch museum is closing for renovation work, and among fierce competition from institutions worldwide, Osaka secured the privilege of hosting the painting. Mauritshuis director Martine Gosselink has even suggested this ‘may be the last time’ the fragile work travels.

Vermeer (1632–1675) was a master of the Dutch Golden Age who completed only around 30 paintings in his lifetime, each a meticulous depiction of a tranquil domestic scene or a landscape. Besides Girl with a Pearl Earring, he’s known for works like The Milkmaid and View of Delft.

Full details – including ticketing information – will be announced at the end of February. Given that previous Vermeer exhibitions have consistently sold out before opening, advance reservations are likely to be essential. 

Make sure to check back with us or keep an eye on the exhibition’s official website so you don’t miss your chance to see one of history’s most beloved masterpieces without leaving Japan.

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