Johannes Vermeer’s 17th-century masterpiece, Girl with a Pearl Earring, has arrived in Osaka for a new exhibition at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art. The painting, which is on loan from the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, is often called the Mona Lisa of the North. This display marks its fourth appearance in Japan.
The Mauritshuis is currently closed for maintenance until September 20, which allowed the museum to send the work abroad. Mauritshuis director Martine Gosselink stated that Japan was chosen for this rare loan because of the country’s high number of dedicated Vermeer fans and the consistent interest shown by Japanese visitors at the home museum.
While the painting is highly protected and rarely leaves its home, this temporary relocation is a significant event for art enthusiasts in the region. The exhibition includes a dozen other works from the Mauritshuis collection, such as Rembrandt’s The Laughing Man and Vermeer’s Diana and her Nymphs. The pieces will remain in Osaka through September 27.
Past exhibitions featuring this specific portrait have attracted massive crowds in Japan. A 2012 tour through Tokyo and Kobe drew 1.2 million visitors, while a 1984 event in Osaka brought in 600,000 attendees. The painting is scheduled to return to the Mauritshuis in early October once the maintenance period concludes.