Vermeer Exhibit

Thanks for the up to date info. Yesterday The Washington Post published an article “There will never be another Vermeer show as great as this one.” It reported as of Monday morning, the museum had already sold 200,000 advanced tickets! We have friends who will attend the exhibit in a couple months. They are grateful that they have their tickets.

While delighted for the folks who will get to see this exhibit, we were looking forward to seeing the 4 Vermeers at the National Gallery in Washington DC this spring. Guess where they will be?

Just our luck. ☹️

I went to the fabulous Hopper exhibit in Paris a few years ago -- and the big entry piece was the amazing Nighthawks from the Chicago Art Institute -- my retirement home town. It is always disappointing to find your favorite work isn't there when you arrive at a museum.

Kathy!! So sorry! I suppose if they allow photography in the Vermeer exhibit we could snap some shots for you!

Janet, thanks for the timely post. I’m sorry you guys missed your preferred time.

I jumped on my dates as soon as the ticketing opened but mostly because I was afraid it would slip my mind, not because I thought they would be all booked. Looks like March is almost completely booked except for some evening times on March 31.

If times are booked, people can become a Friend of the Rijksmuseum to gain admittance.

LOL. for the Hopper exhibit I had to buy a membership in a whole series of exhibits at some cost because that was the only way to get into the exhibit. He is one of my favorite artists and it was the exhibit of a lifetime.

I bought tickets for two days as soon as they became available. In retrospect, I should have just become a "friend" of the museum. It appears that lets you come and go as you please. Regardless, I am looking forward to this exhibit and trip.

This sentence from the Washington Post article really struck me (the bold letters are my own highlights): "It is an international act of veneration, offering a tiny percentage of the world’s most fortunate people the chance to demonstrate not just their interest in Vermeer, but also their devotion to him, by buying airline tickets, booking hotel rooms and posting on Instagram."

For all who are able to see this exhibit, consider yourselves really lucky in more ways than one. I feel really fortunate myself having access to world-class art through the Smithsonian and private museums in the DC region.

“I feel really fortunate myself having access to world-class art through the Smithsonian and private museums in the DC region.”

And you are in a fortunate spot for that! Janet, too, in Chicago!

I did travel to Chicago from FL for a long weekend in the 90’s for a Monet Exhibition at the Art Institute which was quite good.

Locally for me, few opportunities, so I don’t mind organizing my trips to Europe around special exhibitions. I was going to Paris and London this spring anyway and it was just as easy to add on a few days in Amsterdam ahead of those locations.

I do consider myself fortunate to be able to travel. I won’t be Instagramming though, lol. Is the Vermeer crowd into Instagram?

Thanks for the reminder, @Agnes We are so fortunate and privileged to have the ability to see this extraordinary exhibit this spring.

Since we wanted flexibility and knew we would most likely want to go back for a second look during our 5 days in Amsterdam, we purchased the Friends membership for 2. We also get small discounts at the cafe and museum store. The website says we can go whenever we want. I’m anxious to see how this actually works. I’ll report back in April.

In preparation for our visit we’ve been following the museum newsletter updates. The Rjiksmuseum recently sent a link to the online experience, the very well-done Closer to Johannes Vermeer
narrated by Stephen Fry. We needed to break it into two viewings as there is so much to take in.

by buying airline tickets, booking hotel rooms and posting on Instagram

My partner and I didn't buy airline tickets for just the Vermeer exhibit nor will we be posting anything to Instagram. We did however add additional hotel room nights to our Belgium/Holland tour in order to visit Vermeer exhibit several times. We do have degrees in art history and both are artists (at least when my IT professional life allowed it), My partner was a professional interior designer. In retirement we pursue our first love guilt-free. I reserved 9 AM slots on several different days when they were first made available which will give us a few minutes of less-crowded viewing for the works we haven't seen in our previous travels.

We recently viewed the "Van Gogh in America" show at the Detroit Institute of Arts several times (Oct '22 - Jan '23) as it's only a few miles away. I hope everyone had a chance to see that blockbuster and perceived the depth of it's mission. The shows' catalog is particularly well done. No, we did not fly, book hotel rooms nor post to Instagram. In fact we economically car shared with my cousins (we have a woeful lack of public transportation). We wandered the museum afterwards to see the latest location of the DIA's "rock star" (Bruegel's “The Wedding Dance”). We're savoring the DIA's well-deserved moment of triumph.

We've always made the trip to Chicago when warranted. I'm glad I bought the catalogs for the Gauguin and Redon retrospectives in the 90's. I'm also glad I purchased the '96 Cezanne retrospective in Philadelphia so that I could compare it accurately to last year's Chicago show.

For all who are able to see this exhibit, consider yourselves really lucky in more ways than one. I feel really fortunate myself having access to world-class art

Agnes, you are so right. I have been awash in gratitude the last couple of years, being able to travel is a gift; living in an area with two world class museums (Gilcrease, temporarily closed while a new building is in the works, and Philbrook) has opened my mind and spirit in so many ways.

And yes, we are heading to Amsterdam soon, just to see the Vermeer exhibit. Vermeer is my favorite European artist, and I will defend my contention that The Milkmaid is the greatest painting in the world. At least, it's the greatest one I've ever hoped to see. And yes, I know that's a highly subjective judgment, but I cannot wait until I actually stand in front of that painting. Looking at even a cheap copy fills me with indescribable awe and joy.

And perhaps I'll come home with a new favorite!

Of course, it would be an even tinier percentage of the world's population who would be able to see all of these paintings if they were not brought together in one place and you needed to make multiple trips, tickets, time-off, etc. to see them all. I guess it would be more accessible if it was like the 2017 exhibit that traveled to Paris, Washington DC, and Dublin. But that doesn't sound practicable with an exhibit this size.

So I got my tickets yesterday, but had to rearrange my planned visit because tickets for the day (over 2 months away) I wanted were all gone ... 2 days ago the date had all time slots open, then poof, all gone ... so don't wait, they are going fast ... however, I still haven't received an email with the tickets ... didn't even get a confirmation email, just a pop-up that my payment was accepted, then nothing ... what has been everyone else's experience, did you get them right away or did it take a few days?

Update ... right after I posted, just for grins I tried to see what dates/times are left and the site is down ...

From the Rjiksmuseum app today:
“Have you already completed your booking? Processing is also taking longer than usual and will be completed as soon as possible.” It looks as if the nice ticket office people are very busy.

FWIW - Our tickets/confirmation for 2 separate purchases made back in November and December came almost immediately. We purchased a membership in November, then in December, I purchased a single, timed entrance ticket for our daughter on the Museum phone app. Even back in December, some times for that date were already sold out.

I've seen a TON of reviews of the exhibit the past few days in the New York Times, Financial Times, Guardian, etc, discussing the exhibit since it opened today. I'm sure that has alerted a lot more people to the existence of the exhibit -- and explains the snapping up (and disappearance) of tickets.

It seems to be going much better now. I easily got tickets for March 14. They must have corrected the error or else I just got lucky. Good luck all.

I'm still getting Please Standby - Our Ticket Shop Is Closed ... been like that all day for me ... consider yourself lucky.

Update: I just got this email on tickets I purchased yesterday ... I like having my tickets in my hand (or phone) when I arrive ... I have a bad feeling ...

In our system I can see that the payment was successful, but that you did not receive entrance tickets.

Unfortunately, I can no longer send this one. On presentation of this e-mail you can enter on the day of your visit during the booked entrance through the entrance for visitors with entrance tickets. Then our colleagues at the information desk will help you quickly.

Oh gosh - that is not great.

FWIW: if you are going to the Vermeer exhibit after 31 March, please note that "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" will not be there. It will return to the Mauritshuis on 1 April. Have no info on the "View of Delft" location after 1 April. Get tickets for the Mautitshuis anyway as it is a fine museum in it's own right. Both Den Hage and Delft are towns worthy of visits and easy to get to from Amsterdam..

I don't want to cry wolf, but my look around the Rijksmuseum website just now has convinced me that the exhibition is now sold out.

I haven't seen this in any press anywhere, so maybe I am doing something wrong -- but I really think there are no more tickets.

Not even if you join Friends of the museum ! (There do appear to be reservations available if you join their "Fast" program, but it is only available if you are under 40 years of age.)

Wow. It does appear to be sold out completely. I already reserved a spot but just tried to book a 2nd visit and they appear to be all gone!

Wow! That's huge. Good thing I have two confirmed entries next month, but I feel bad for anyone who missed out. Probably means my visits won't be alone...

I obtained 2 9:00 AM visits for me and my partner when they were first offered. I'm ready. Several visits to the recent DIA's sold-out blockbuster "Van Gogh in America" show fortified my tolerance for crowds.

Can anyone share how much an adult ticket to the exhibition costs?

I don't think it's sold out, or at least I think a certain tranche of advanced tickets may be sold out (say, through a certain date or month), but not all. It would seem silly for a museum to release all tickets at once, have them all snapped up, since then it would be really difficult to continue the fanfare for the exhibition for the next several months (what would the pitch be?). Usually museums reserve some in-person tickets (or same-day tickets) in case there are no-shows, etc. I wonder with the seemingly high demand, if the museum limits the number of visits per the same party (to one visit) to accommodate more unique visitors. That seems sensible to allow more people to see this wonderful exhibit; this is a limited resource with a capped number per day.

This message has been posted on the ticket website:

"At the moment there are no more tickets available. We are constantly looking at possibilities to offer more people the opportunity to see this exhibition. Keep an eye on the website."

A few evenings had been added for this show (on TH FR and SA nights) in the past and that might be an option they could pursue.

Adult tickets are € 30.00 which includes a visit to the Rijksmuseum afterwards.

I do see a slot opening periodically and randomly so maybe check the website sometimes as advised in their blurb.

As of right now all the available tickets for the Vermeer exhibit are definitely sold out. The managing director of the Rijksmuseum Mr. Taco Dibbits appeared on a Dutch talkshow today and said that the interest in the exhibit has been phenomenal. The ticket sale started as early as September 2022, and they were very clear from the get go that all available tickets were made available at that time. It was never the intention to add extra tickets at a later time.
However Mr Dibbits did say that the overwhelming interest has led the museum to check out possible options to enable more people to come see the exhibit. An extension of the exhibit past June is impossible with all the loans that need to go back, but they may perhaps extend the opening hours even further. However this isn’t a done deal yet.

Extending the opening hours would be preferable to cramming more people in any any given time. Plus, they probably have fire codes that restrict the total number of visitors. I just hope it isn't like trying to "see" the Mona Lisa or something. I hate crowds.

Friends, I know this is likely futile, but if anyone ends up not being able to use tickets they have purchased, please consider me. I will happily but them and make the trip as I’m so sad I missed the opportunity to buy them before they sold out.
I only need one :) and…. I know, I know… but I have to try. Kindest thanks.

This is amazing that it is sold out. Just on Thursday I was looking to see what my day (already booked) in April looked like and there were still openings in the late afternoon/evening. I think it was showing available times even until 8P.

If they add more times I wonder if they are going to open at 7A or something?

Wow.

The crowds are going to be there, even with the tickets that have already been sold.

A warning to those thinking they can get in buying a "Friendship" pass: I bought one last night just to be able to come and go as I please (and also to have a 2nd look at the Vermeer show). After paying, I immediately got a message saying you still have to reserve a day and time to enter the museum, even those with "friends" memberships. It's my first time at the Rijksmuseum, so I knew one visit wouldn't be enough and ,with the Vermeer show, even 2 might not do it for me. But I know people are thinking they can go to the Vermeer thing with a Friends pass, and I doubt it. When selling the pass, they say you can come and go without making a reservation and that you get free access to "special exhibits" but, like I say, after buying the pass, I found out otherwise on the reservation front. And of course, you can't make a reservation for the Vermeer show at this time, so the membership doesn't help there either. I felt a bit taken. The whole reason I bought the pass was to not have to make reservations.

From the site-

FOR YOUR VISIT

Do you need a reservation?
Yes, everyone needs a start time. Only Friends of the Rijksmuseum don't. As a Friend, you always have free, unlimited access and can come whenever you want without a start time.

I bought the Friend of Rijkmuseum three days ago and had nothing like that come up. I got my verification email and the pass along information on how to use it.

I was shocked to find out that the exhibit is sold out. I had no idea the tickets would be completely gone. I wasted a couple weeks trying to figure out what day and time to come, to have enough time to go through it. Now it looks like I waited too long and have missed out.

Plan B, I was hoping to get in by purchasing a Friends membership. Am concerned with what Don from San Francisco posted, saying he received a message "you still have to reserve a day and time to enter the museum, even those with "friends" memberships."

Under the Vermeer Exhibit Q&A it says this:
What if I become a Friend, can I go to the Vermeer without a starting time?
Friends can visit the exhibition without starting time.

In addition, Paqngo purchased a Friends membership and did not receive a message about needing to reserve a time.
Anyone else purchase a Friends membership have additional insight on this?

I will probably go ahead and purchase the membership so I can go back to see the main exhibits more than once, and get in through the Fast Lane.

This might be small consolation for those who are not able to get tickets for the Vermeer exhibit, but for what it’s worth, Context Learning (the online division of Context Travel) is offering a free session about it on Wednesday Feb. 15 at 11:30am ET. See: https://www.contextlearning.com/pages/context-learning-free-event

Wow, I wonder why I got that message about having "friends" having to reserve a time slot and some people didn't. I know I didn't imagine it. I clearly remember seeing the the phrase, "everyone has to reserve a time, even friends of the museum." Maybe they were referring to the Vermeer exhibit? Well, I guess we'll find out when we get there. It does say on my voucher that you get access to all exhibits so maybe it will work for the Vermeer show. I think it's worth a try. I'd the membership is worth it for the museum itself if you plan to go even a couple of times. I take back what I said about feeling taken. It's definitely a deal for two. Not as good for one person.

Whew! Tickets are available again this AM. You can choose the option for those with the RM Friends pass to choose a time (no charge). I’m sure they will sell out quickly, though.

I just got the Please Stand By - our ticket shop is closed for a moment ... not only for Vermeer, but even for just regular Rijksmuseum tickets

Just check the Vermeer ticket page and apparently there are a couple of random dates in May available plus tomorrow at 9:30 am. Won't make that date. I went ahead and bought the Friends membership so I can go there anytime that's convenient for me, plus get a discount at the gift shop and café!

Reporting: Just back from the Vermeer exhibit, and my recommendation is: go. Go. Whatever you have to do, go. OK, I'm more than a little biased, with Vermeer being my favorite European painter, but I was certainly not the only person there this morning with a smile, and even tears.

They are sold out, once again, and they currently do not have a waiting list, but hopeful ticket buyers are urged to keep checking the Rijksmuseum website for updates.

The way it's set up, you have a specific entry time. Once you're in the exhibit you can stay as long as you want, (!) but can't return once you've left. (I'm still wearing my wristband from this morning, but don't have the nerve to see if I can get in again. Tempting, though.)

After you've viewed the Vermeer, you can then visit the rest of the Rijks, without buying a separate ticket.

And yes, "The Milkmaid" is still my favorite, but "Woman with a Balance" is in contention. Also "Woman Reading a Letter" (the one in the blue smock.)

Biggest surprise: "View of Delft." I've always dismissed this one as being dark and uninteresting (sorry, Johannes,) but it is magnificent. Bigger than most of his works, surprisingly bright and full of detail. Ditto "The Little Street." Much more interesting and finely detailed than I've ever noticed in a reproduction.

I still don't care much for "Woman in a Red Hat;" I had hoped she too would surprise me, the way "Girl with a Pearl Earring" did when we saw her in Den Hague a few years ago.

We had mid-morning entry time, and it wasn't too crowded, but after a couple of hours the rooms filled up. People were very polite and respectful of others, especially early, before the crowd expanded.

Overall impression: definitely worth the trip.

@Jane

Thanks for the report. And your tastes in Vermeer's paintings seem to mirror mine. I was never that impressed with View of Delft until I saw it in person in 2021 in The Hague. It definitely draws you in in person. I am so looking forward to seeing this exhibit in mid-March.

For those who are not going to the exhibit, I am sharing this free online Vermeer experience presented by the Rijksmuseum and narrated by Stephen Frye. I have a friend who is headed to Amsterdam the end of next week for 24 hrs.! He purchased his ticket when they were first released. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/johannes-vermeer

JANE!!!! Thank you for the report! I am SO very glad it was worth it to you. That is just wonderful and has whetted my interest even more! Did you scan the QR code as you came into the exhibition or were you able to get up to the descriptions on the wall?

Oh wow.....

Pam, we had no trouble getting close to the paintings, especially earlier in the visit. And there are notes and interesting points noted on the exhibit walls, separate from the paintings themselves. Very impressive. Beautifully done.

Thank you!!

Jane, I am so happy for you that you had a wonderful experience !!!

Jane- Thank you for the update. We are very excited that we have tickets to see the exhibit on March 14. Your report makes me all the more excited to get there. Counting down the days!

Kim, thank you. I'm still almost weepy about it.

Jack, I envy you the experience.

If you don't have tickets yet, you are really too late now ... the buy ticket option for Vermeer is gone AND they are not selling anymore Friends passes until further notice ... wonder what tickets are selling for on the secondary market?

The prices on the secondary market aren’t that crazy. You can check for yourself at Ticketswap https://www.ticketswap.com/event/rijksmuseum-vermeer-exhibition/be609ed8-3ad3-4806-892b-d89fab369ff0

Took a peek at Ticketswap ... only 1 ticket for sale (at about €7 above cost) and over 3500 wanted ... if Economics 101 (law of supply and demand) is followed, we could be looking at a much larger premium as time goes by ...

The website of the Rijksmuseum now shows this message:

“Interest in the Vermeer exhibition is very high. Unfortunately, there are no more tickets available at the moment. The Rijksmuseum is working hard to give more people the opportunity to see the exhibition. From 6 March, we will provide a new update via the Rijksmuseum website”

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/vermeer

The English version of the Vermeer exhibition catalog is back in stock at the Rijksmuseum gift shop.

FYI, for those (like me) who found the mixed messaging around the Friends access a little confusing, I messaged for clarification and received this nice response from the museum:
“As a Friend of the Rijksmuseum, you have many benefits. For example, you do not need a reservation for the museum and the Vermeer exhibition.

You don't even have to queue at the entrance. There may be a queue at the Vermeer exhibition. To keep the overview, we ask you to join this row.

At this moment it´s no longer possible to purchase a new Friendship or to extend an existing Friendship. We have reached the maximum number of Friendships allowed in to offer the public a pleasant visit to the Vermeer exhibition. On 6-3-2023 we will give an update about the Friendships through our website.

If you already have purchased and paid for a Friendship and are still waiting for your passes or E-voucher, you don’t have to worry. Processing takes longer then usual and will be completed as soon as possible.”

We did reserve the free tickets with a time slot, but good to know we are not held to that time. So excited for our visit!

I am so excited for this. I was already planning a trip to Paris with my sister when the details on the Vermeer exhibit became available, so we're doing a day trip to Amsterdam to see them on March 27. We're flying to Paris on a Saturday night, arriving Sunday morning, and the following morning we'll get up early to make the Thalys train.

I live in NYC and I'm going to run to the Met Saturday morning to see their three that aren't coming over. I go visit them often but I want to see them again right before I see their sisters. After this show, I'll have seen all but three of them in person.

My favorite find was in Tokyo in February 2020. Didn't know St Praxedis was waiting around the corner for me! I know she's a second-tier Vermeer but I want to see them all.

I got this tip from Dutch_traveler in response to my posting seeking itinerary feedback:

"If you move your Rijksmuseum visit to Sunday and don’t mind paying extra, there are still tickets available to the weekly Vermeer lecture held every Sunday at 1 pm. These combi tickets include a lecture about Vermeer followed by a visit of the exhibit; https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/lectures-symposiums/closer-to-vermeer"

I followed the recommendation and it appears I have tickets. The purchase was done just a few days ago. I keep re-checking the tickets, because I almost can't believe it. The cost for the lecture was something like an additional 5 euros.

The combi tickets for the lecture+entry are now sold out too. This means that at this moment (March 1) there are no tickets available for the Vermeer exhibit in any way shape or form.
The Rijksmuseum has posted a message on their website that they will provide a new update on March 6.

For the unfortunate majority of us who have to stay home, there was a nice piece on Vermeer and the exhibit in the Feb. 27th issue of The New Yorker.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/27/the-ultimate-vermeer-collection

Yes, tickets via the museum website are all sold out. I feel fortunate that I was able to get 1 that way after many, many tries. There are also tickets being sold on eBay, some of which are definitely being scalped for BIG BUCKS! Is scalped the right word to use; I don't know? I've noticed 2 sellers offering many more tickets than anyone could possibly have a use for. Sad to say, but people are fueling their outright greed. If you are truly a fan of Johannes Vermeer, start to make travel plans to all the museums that house them. A nice way to expand your travel horizons!

For those that can't get tickets, CBS Sunday Morning had a nice piece on the exhibit.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/a-once-in-a-lifetime-vermeer-exhibition/