What Makes Vermeer so Unique?

This sounds amazing. I'm really excited to see my first Vermeer on my upcoming Netherlands trip.

What makes him so unique I think is that each one of his paintings could have been a photograph if photography existed at that time. They are all little moments of everyday life, and I think endure in popularity because you don't have to know a particular bible story, historical person or battle, or Greek mythology to really understand them, and so remain extremely accessible to everyone. The small amount of surviving works certainly adds interest and intrigue to it as well.

roubrat- I am excited for you! Prior to our visit I enjoyed reading “Girl with the Pearl Earring” by Chevalier. Probably my favorite Vermeer painting.

One of my favorite painters! A talented writer could create a novel behind what he has pictured in his paintings.

Wait.... Someone already did that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring_(novel)

"The Lacemaker" at the Louvre is a favorite.

kblur9- "The small amount of surviving works certainly adds interest and intrigue as well." I totally agree!

Kathy- Thank you for the reference to “The Lacemaker!” I almost forgot about the Louvre.
Another unique painting!

And "The Astronomer" at the Louvre. Oh my.

I'm partial to The Milkmaid.

roubrat, I've told my husband that if he ever hears of The Milkmaid having been stolen, don't look in the closet.

I think that is the best painting I have ever seen. We're not going to Europe next year until the fall. Rats. Of course, I can go... Stan is tied up all spring, but I can go...

I can’t really say what makes Vermeer unique, but I love his paintings and every museum I visit, I check for a Vermeer. Thanks for the info about the exhibition

I think I love Vermeer for the same reason I love Andrew Wyeth: the paintings are just so true.

But I never liked the Girl with the Pearl Earring, until I saw it in person. Same with Leonardo's Girl with an Ermine. The difference between an original and even an excellent print is astonishing.

roubrat- I too, am partial to “The Milkmaid.” I have a special edition “Jim Beam” decanter with the “Milkmaid” picture. I was just discussing with my husband if he recalled how old it was. Neither one of us remembered. So, I googled and guess what- 1972! 50 years old. Time flies! ;)

But I never liked the Girl with the Pearl Earring, until I saw it in person.

I wonder if this will be the case for me with Mona Lisa when I eventually see it? I've never understood the appeal.

I'm also a lover of Vermeer and have seen his works in the Rijksmuseum, the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, and the Louvre. And I agree with the comments here that his paintings are unique in that they reflect everyday life and ordinary people and do remind one of photographs in their detail. And I agree with Jane that seeing these (and other) paintings in person is so much different than seeing a print - there's nothing like the 'real' thing. I remember standing in front of the Milkmaid at the Rijksmuseum and staring for just minutes and being just fascinated with it. The small number of his paintings that are available for us to see does make them more intriguing to us.

Kathy- interesting story about the history of “The Astronomer.” Another wonderful painting.
http://www.essentialvermeer.com/cat_about/astronomer.html

Interesting https://slate.com/culture/2013/10/vermeers-daughter-was-the-girl-with-the-pearl-earring-and-painted-later-vermeer-works.html

roubrat, I'm not sure about the Mona Lisa. Like you, I've never really seen the attraction. I have seen that one in person, sort of. You can see it at the Louvre, but there will be hordes of people between you and the painting, most of them taking photos and selfies.

You can't get close and spend quiet time just drinking it in, as you can with most paintings in museums. I suspect that you will be disappointed with the original, as I was.

roubrat- thanks for sharing the link- yes, interesting!

Thanks for the information and link! Vermeer is my favorite artist and I’ve sought out his work in every museum we’ve visited. I was fortunate to see a special exhibit at the National Gallery in 2001 in London. Can I make it to Amsterdam in the winter/spring to see this exhibition? Better get planning!

@Judy I had the strongest reaction to seeing the Girl With the Pearl Earring in den Haag in 2018. I couldn’t even walk up to it without pausing and looking away multiple times, it was so overwhelming.

I saw “The Girl with the Pearl Earring” at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco a few years ago. They displayed it alone in a room by itself and there was almost no one else in the room. I couldn’t stop looking, soaking it in. I loved it.

I am always thrilled to see the Mona Lisa in person. When we were there in Oct 2021, you waited in line and each person was able to go up fairly close and spend time looking at her with no one around you or in front of you. It was very civilized. We weren’t rushed and the line moved fairly quickly. There were less tourists in Paris in Oct 2021 than there are now so your experience may be different.

Susan, thanks for sharing. I have yet to see “Girl with the Pearl Earring,” but just looking at photos it is mesmerizing! I can only imagine seeing it in person.

This is awesome, bummed that I was just in Amsterdam so probably won't make it back for this exhibit. I made my nephew check out the paintings at the Rijksmuseum even though he wasn't that excited about it (I told him he'd regret it if he didn't).

I really enjoyed the 2014 documentary "Tim's Vermeer" produced and directed by the magicians Penn and Teller. It charts the course of an inventor who sets out to reproduce a Vermeer painting, including original painting techniques and even building the furniture in the scene. Totally fascinating. Here's the movie trailer, it appears to still be streaming on a few platforms.

The Museum website says the exhibition will be from Feb 20 to June 4, which fits perfectly with my plan to visit sometime in April.

I read that the Mona Lisa became famous after it was stolen from the Louvre. In other words, it's the hype more than the painting itself.
I much prefer the enormous painting at the opposite end of the gallery, The Wedding Feast at Cana, by Veronese, which many people seem not to even see as they beeline to the wee portrait of a lady.

We will have one day in Den Haag this Sept. and I'm most excited about seeing The Girl with the Peal Earring. I have a (maybe wrong?) idea that the Mauritshaus isn't as crowded as the Rijk's, so maybe I can have some alone time with her.

Going to be in Amsterdam in 2 weeks and I only wanted to visit one museum because we mostly want to be outside, but the one museum is the Rijk. I’m excited to see my first Vermeer!

reubrat, when we were at the Mauritshuis a few years ago, it was indeed as crowded as the Rijks, but nothing like trying to see the Mona Lisa.

Chani, you're right; Mona Lisa is famous for being famous, rather like today's celebrities. There are any number of paintings in the Louvre that are as good, or better, but get ignored by the crowds.

diveloonie aka Tammy can't wait to read about your trip. I'm counting the days to mine.

Jane, I guess it's all relative, isn't it. Compare anything to the Lourve (or Vatican museum) and suddenly things aren't so bad.

My partner and I will see the Vermeer retrospective towards the end of April 2023. We canceled our spring Holland/Belgium tour scheduled for April 2022 when the show was announced for next year.

Those who want to visit the Vermeer exhibit next year, should be aware that you will need to book a time slot in order to be able to see the exhibit. So on top of a ticket for the museum itself, you will need an additional ticket/time slot to see the Vermeer exhibit in the Philips Wing of the Rijksmuseum. The Rijksmuseum hasn’t yet announced when ticket sale will start, but it isn’t expected to start until a few months in advance. If you sign up for the Rijksmuseum newsletter, you will be the first to know when tickets become available. Sign up here; https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/johannes-vermeer

Secondly, and please bare with me, as a Dutchie I can’t help but cringe a little bit about the various miss spellings and strange abbreviations of the names of museums in this thread.
I know Dutch isn’t an easy language, so please allow me to give some explanation. In the context of the Rijksmuseum, the word “rijk” means “national” or “of the state”. So the name Rijksmuseum means museum that displays art and artefacts owned by the Netherlands. It’s our national collection or national museum. If Dutch speakers want to shorten the name Rijksmuseum, they will say Rijks. The word “Reich” is the German word for Rijk. It’s therefore a bit odd to refer to the Dutch national museum with a German word. In a similar way, I’ve seen people refer to the Anne Frank house with the German word for house, haus. The Dutch word for house is huis, not haus.
Apart from national museums, the Netherlands also has museums that display the collection owned by a city. These museums are called Stedelijk museum, with the word “stedelijk” meaning of the city in this context. There are multiple Stedelijk museums in the Netherlands. Amsterdam has one, but also cities like Alkmaar, Schiedam, Breda, Zutphen, Kampen and many many more. When in Amsterdam it’s perfectly okay to refer to the Stedelijk Museum of Amsterdam as “the Stedelijk”. However when you’re in Alkmaar and ask someone about the Stedelijk, the will probably think you’re talking about their Stedelijk museum and not the one in Amsterdam.
The Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces. The collection owned by the province is on display in museums that bare the name of the province. The province of Friesland has the Fries Museum, the province of Drenthe has the Drents Museum etc etc etc.
I hope this wasn’t too boring and was a bit insightful!

Thank you Dutch traveler, very helpful.

@CL- Thank you for sharing the info on the 2014 documentary "Tim's Vermeer." I enjoyed the movie trailer very much. Truly fascinating!
@Chani- Great that you will be in Amsterdam sometime in April. Nice opportunity to see the Tulips as well!?
@Tammy- Hope you enjoy your time in Amsterdam. We loved the Rijksmuseum for the variety of Art. We could have easily spent 4-5 hours. We ended up spending less than 3 hours thinking we will be back. We also enjoyed sitting outside of the museum. The grounds are lovely. The fountain is quite amazing to watch or participate. Lots of YouTube videos to view! Tammy, since you enjoy the outdoors, we really loved strolling Vondelpark as well.
@Dutch_traveler- Thank you for sharing! I recall prior to traveling to Amsterdam, I consulted a colleague who is originally from the Netherlands. She was very helpful with pronunciations, places to visit, accommodations, museums, restaurants, etc. That said, always helpful to have your insight!

I am a huge fan of Van Gogh. We seek out his work when traveling. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam took my breath away. It also houses the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in the world! I like to stop in the museums gift shops for small gifts like book marks, postcard photos, etc.

Mauritshuis, Mauritshuis, got it!

Janis, I saw my first Van Gogh last year at Boston's Fine Arts Museum and picked up some pretty coasters in the gift shop.

roubrat, Lession two- lol.
For years I used to hear Van “Gogh” as “Go!”
Then when we were in Amsterdam it was Van “Goff.” Now, when I googled it is pronounced
Van “Hauf.” Maybe Dutch_Traveler can kindly confirm. ;)
I saw my first Van Gogh at the Seattle Art Museum in 1959! Unforgettable experience.
Edited to add: https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20040523&slug=vangoghside23

I've used to think it was Van Goff but I did see/hear once that in Dutch it's more of a guttural "hghgh" sound (hard to type lol). Similar to how Gouda is more like "hhhhouda" (again, how to spell these sounds?)

I am excited about this exhibition too!! I’m going to add on to the front end of a tour to Northern England with a former RS guide so I can work this in! I guess I really need to start blocking out this trip, lol.

Here’s a direct link to sign up for the Vermeer newsletter with ticketing announcements.

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/interests/vermeer

A few years ago the Louvre had a Vermeer exhibition with both the Astronomer and the Geographer side by side. That was wonderful! I hope they are hung together for this exhibit as well!

I didn’t really get the Girl With the Pearl Earring until I saw her at Mauritshuis. Wow! FWIW, when I visited there in April 2019 it was very uncrowded in the afternoon. Clearly YMMV!!

When I did a special Rembrandt exhibition at Rijksmuseum in 2019 I’d downloaded their museum app. The whole audio guide was on there so have your phone and earbuds.

It's always my instinct to book the first time slot, but maybe I'm doing this backwards. It's probably almost everyone else's instinct, too! Even the Mauritshuis website warns If you want to avoid the crowds a bit, come to the Mauritshuis after 3 pm.

I was just looking back at my photos when we were at the Rijksmuseum in September 2019. I had taken a photo of the Milkmaid & the Rembrandt exhibit. It was 2:00. It was not crowded that afternoon. The museum staff said it was a light afternoon. I would probably do another pm time if we return. ;)

The way the G is pronounced in Dutch depends on where in the Netherlands you live. Or rather where you lived when you learned to talk. In the middle and northern part of the country, the G is a hard gutteral G. In the southern part below the rivers, we speak with what is called a soft G. The difference may not be clearly audible to non-Dutch speakers, but for us it is very obvious .
This very funny video explains the difference between the two ways of pronunciation.
https://youtu.be/hNOebbyUgI4

This YouTube video shows how Van Gogh is pronounced by someone with a hard G
https://youtu.be/KjOvPZTURLI

Thank you Dutch_traveler. I’ve come to the conclusion that I prefer the “successful and sexy” version! ;)

In Otterlo we met a charming and outgoing young man on the bus who was eager to practice his English and engaged us in conversation. His English was perfect, hard to believe it was a second language. All was great until we told him we planned on visiting the Van Gogh ( i.e., “Van Go”) museum when we saw his eyes glaze over. I checked and no, he had absolutely no idea what we had just said. By the time we got off the bus, we could mumble a passable Dutch pronunciation, but he dissuaded us from any further effort to even try the name of the adjacent park where we intended to ride bikes… De Hoge Veluwe.

My other Dutch pronunciation guide was the baker in Amsterdam we visited each morning. I asked him how to say Good Morning in Dutch. He smiled broadly, handed over my pastry and said, “Don’t bother.” That one was easy.
Thanks for the lesson! Safe travels.

@Denny- thank you for the hilarious stories! Now I am intrigued with Otterlo. More Van “Goff” at the Kröller Müller Museum! The sculpture park looks amazing as well. Not to mention De Hoge Veluwe National Park. Looks like an easy trip from Amsterdam. About 1 1/2 hrs? Bedankt. ;)

It depends on what you consider an easy day trip. If you want to do this by public transport it involves a train and two busses to get there. This will take closer to 2 hours than 1.5. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely worth it, but it’s not what I would call an easy day trip from Amsterdam.

Hello, Janis. Yes, it is about a 90 minute train ride from Amsterdam to Otterlo. We had a fantastic time. Stayed a couple of nights at the Hotel de Sterrenberg which was very nice. From there we walked to the museum and got the free bikes to ride around the park. The next day we took an easy 20 minute bus to Arnhem, and visited the Netherlands Open Air Museum or Nederlands Openluchtmuseum.

Denny; I think you may not be remembering things correctly. Otterlo doesn’t have a train station. In order to get from Amsterdam to Otterlo, you need to train to Arnhem and transfer to a bus to Otterlo. This bus doesn’t go all the way to the Kroller-Moller museum, which means that in Otterlo, you need to change to another bus.

Thanks Dutch Traveler. It was a few years ago. I think we both recall just one bus ride, apparently from Arnhem, to our hotel. I do recall it was a little bus, like 10 seats or so, and when I asked when we arrived near our hotel, I’m fairly certain the driver turned around off his route to detour and drop us at the front door! We both recall a short walk from the hotel to the park entrance where we got our bikes to the museum. Sorry for any confusion I may have sown. I hope I have it right! If I have erred, again, please advise.

To get from Amsterdam to the Kroller-Moller museum is doable by public transport, but not very straightforward. And there are various ways to get there.
This is due to the fact that the museum is located in the middle of a National Park. The nearest town is the small village of Otterlo. Otterlo itself doesn’t have a train station, but it’s located in the middle of several cities that do have a train station: Apeldoorn, Arnhem and Ede-Wageningen. From each of these train stations you can get a bus that will take you to Otterlo. However none of these busses will get you all the way to the museum. To get to the Kroller-Moller museum from the Otterlo bus stop, requires either a 3.5 km walk or bike ride or a 7 minute bus ride on another bus.

Even though this may seem daunting, it’s very much worthwhile. There will also be plenty of other people doing the exact same thing, so once you get on the bus towards Otterlo it will all be pretty much self-explanatory.

@Denny & Dutch_traveler- appreciate the information! We don’t mind taking public transportation. Sounds like an adventure. This was very helpful. Thanks for your prompt replies!

Janis, I visited the Kroller-Mueller in May. While it was interesting and one of the sights I most wanted to see on this trip, I honestly did not think it would be worth the long public transport trip from Amsterdam. It was a fine museum, the Van Gogh's were plentiful, but there were only a few I had not seen similar works of in other places.

I did like the sculpture garden which was quite interesting but again, not worth a 4 hr round trip via public transport.

Obviously this is a personal opinion as others enjoyed it much more than I did. I was on a Road Scholar trip so did a day trip on the tour bus.

I did have an interesting conversation with some Jr High age girls in the garden which was hilarious. Their English was so good and they were eager to practice on someone.

Dutch_Traveler, thank you for the entertaining youtube videos!

@Pam; you’re welcome. There are several videos out there about the difference between the two G’s. Some are a bit more serious, focusing more on the technicalities. Still great, but I liked this one better.

@ Janis; born and raised and still living in the southern part of the country I too prefer the “successful and sexy” version of the pronunciation of the letter G. ;-)
In fact I live about 15 km’s away from the village where Vincent van Gogh was born. And now I can’t help but wonder how Vincent himself pronounced his last name. Even though he was born in the “soft G” or cool part of the country, both his parents were born in the northern part and came to Zundert when they were adults. So I guess it could be both. A bit of mystery remains!

I’m pretty sure it was the Ede-Wageningen route that we took. It sounds very familiar. We enjoyed our several trips to the Netherlands and may start seriously thinking about the next one now. I wasn’t aware of the special exhibition. Thank you for that! Over the years we have missed the Girl with the Pearl Earring in Den Haag and Bologna. Maybe this will be the year. Also try Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland for Vermeer fiction. This forum has been a huge help to us over the years and I hope all who contribute stay safe and healthy and continue to share their insights and experiences. Safe travels.

@Pam, thanks for your comments about your visit to the Kröller Müller Museum. In addition I was curious about the Sculpture Park. Pam, I have been “stalking Van Gogh for years!” lol. I enjoyed the Musée d’ Orsay, Arles, walking tour of Montmartre where Vincent lived.
@Denny, I agree with your comment that “this forum has been a huge help over the years.” I appreciate everyone’s insights. And getting back to Vermeer! Thanks for the book recommendation!
@Dutch-traveler- Hmmm, I wonder how Vincent Van Gogh pronounced his last name? Yes, a bit of a mystery remains! Thanks again. ;)

Has anyone read Vermeer: A view of Delft by Anthony Bailey?

So I guess when I get to the Netherlands I should spell my name Ghani (or does it need to be just Gani?) so they'll pronounce it correctly 🤣

If you want to practice a couple phrases before your trip, try
Good morning = Goedemorgan
Good day = Goedendag
and the canals are all grachts . . .

@Chani; In Dutch, the “ch” is pronounced as “g” so no need to change your name :-)
When you give tips about Dutch words and/or phrases, it’s always good to double check the spelling.
It’s “goedemorgen” not “goedemorgan”. Goedendag is correct, but sounds very formal and stiff. Goeiedag means exactly the same thing, but comes across as much more friendly.

Also the plural of “gracht”, is “grachten” not “grachts”. And since the ch is pronounced as g, gracht is pronounced as gragt.

In addition to grachten, some cities have bodies of water that are called singels, like for instance Utrecht and Breda. So not every body of water in a Dutch city is a gracht. Cities can also have singels and even rivers running thru them.

"Pam, I have been “stalking Van Gogh for years!” lol. I enjoyed the Musée d’ Orsay, Arles, walking tour of Montmartre where Vincent lived."

Oh gosh, me too! I specifically did a Road Scholar program in Provence because it went to the asylum in St Remy, lol. I also did the Orsay before that trip and then I was so taken with Arles I did it again after the trip and had different feelings when I looked at the collection. I keep intending to do a day trip to Auvers-sur-Oise when I am in Paris.

The sculpture garden at K-M was very nice although the map of the gardens I found slightly confusing. Most pieces were quite modern which is not really my thing but they fit well into the landscape.

The K-M has a very nice website with their whole collection online so you can get an idea of what is one display. The one painting I'd not seen one similar to was this Sunflowers Gone to Seed one.

https://krollermuller.nl/en/vincent-van-gogh-four-sunflowers-gone-to-seed-1

I'm not sorry I went, but I'd probably not make the journey again. I had also just been to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and they had a really wonderful special exhibition on his Olive Trees that I really enjoyed so that may have colored my opinion.

Thank you, Dutch traveler! I appreciate the edification, especially since I hope to be in your country this coming spring. And how could I forget that CH is gutteral, after so many flights in and out of Schiphol (blushing).

My bad for the typo. BTW I just like goedendag because of its sound.

Roubrat, thanks for the tip. I have placed a hold on “A View of Delft” at our excellent public library.

I'm picking mine up at the library today.

-roubrat- thanks for mentioning Vermeer: “A view of Delft.” Good reviews. Sounds like a winner.
-Pam- I missed the asylum! Darn! Our tour didn’t go to St. Rémy. I thought Arles was amazing. The only caveat: the Mosquitoes! We call it “the Mosquito capital of the world.” lol. They were vicious that year. Thanks for the link to the sunflowers gone to seed. ;)
I am now excited to visit more places in the Netherlands. It looks like “RS Amsterdam & the Netherlands” is a comprehensive guide, beyond Amsterdam!

I just came across this article https://news.artnet.com/art-world/vermeer-underpainting-national-gallery-art-2160477

We enjoyed our visit to the Mauritshaus Museum ( the Royal Collection) in The Hague to see the Vermeer paintings.

roubat- thanks for sharing the fascinating article. The state-of-the-art technology is amazing!

I'm so excited! I'll be at the Mauritshuis in a little over 3 weeks :-)

“ We enjoyed our visit to the Mauritshaus Museum ( the Royal Collection) in The Hague to see the Vermeer paintings.”
I know I’ve written it before, but please don’t use German words for Dutch sights. It may seem harmless, but some people will find this pretty offensive. The museum is called the MauritsHUIS.
Also the paintings in the Mauritshuis aren’t owned by our royal family, so it isn’t the Royal Collection that’s on display there. Just like in the Rijksmuseum, the paintings in the Mauritshuis are property of the state, so it is in fact our National Collection that’s on display.
Our royal family does have a collection of art, but the art is not in the Mauritshuis. You can see some of in in the Royal Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam or in Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn. The remainder is behind closed doors in Palace Noordeinde and Huis ten Bosch, both in The Hague.

I just wanted to add, that we have now completed our first visit to Amsterdam and the Rijks museum. I think this museum is one of my favorites now! We spent a little over 3 hours there, which may be a record for me ( usually my max is 2). The Milkmaid was extraordinary! Very sorry I will miss the exhibition next year.

Pam, I have to thank you for the tip on the museum app. Best museum app ever! So much better when the painting has a number you can plug into your phone, rather than you having to follow along and find the work the audio guide is telling about.
We loved Amsterdam and I even heard my husband mention those magic words “I could live here!”

@Dutch_Traveler- Thank you for the added information regarding the National Collection.
@Tammy- Glad you enjoyed The Rijksmuseum.
Our favorite as well. I agree- We love Amsterdam! One of many places in our travels that “clicked with us.”

There's seems to be some interesting news about Vermeer's painting lately. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/girl-with-a-red-hat-vermeer-attribution-1234636670/

Ticketing is OPEN! Got the email today!

They are 30E which includes entry to the Rijksmuseum main exhibits as well.

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/vermeer?utm_source=email&utm_medium=nieuwsbrief&utm_campaign=vermeer_kaartverkoop&utm_content=vermeer_interesse_en#msdynttrid=icwTLXKsBr0m-7yU1wjF37Q-UohCXt7QC1hiHkyA_xo

And yes, sigh...I went ahead and booked. Unknown how flights will be next spring but instead of booking for my first full day I've gone ahead and booked for the 2nd day I'm there in case there is a screw up on flights.

Pam, thanks for posting! So exciting for all who will be traveling to Amsterdam to see this “once in a lifetime experience.” I just sent the info to friends who will be there next Spring.
Looking forward to trip reports following. ;)

We've scheduled 2 visits to the exhibit. One will be at the 9am starting time and 3pm on another day.

We also got the email notice that tickets for the Vermeer exhibit were on sale. We picked a date in early May and booked the tickets. The trip details will be worked out in good time. Very excited.

Ohhh, 2 visits...I hadn't thought of that. I've got the 9A entry on my day so maybe I'll do something later in the afternoon on the day before.

On a Rembrant exhibition they had a few years ago they had the audio tour on the app which was handy. Looks like it's the same for this one.

And darn...got so excited I booked online instead of thru the Rijksmuseum app....drat.

Ohhh, 2 visits...I hadn't thought of that. I've got the 9A entry on my day so maybe I'll do something later in the afternoon on the day before.

I've discovered through the years that it's best for me to have several views of blockbuster shows. You never know what might happen and this way there's a second opportunity. There's always the odd chance of not feeling well one day or a rare migraine striking. Sometimes I discover something I might want to study more closely....or was unable to get a position for viewing when crowded. I don't feel as much pressure to absorb or enjoy it. Luckily my partner has the same enthusiasms....and really this isn't that costly at less than $30 for us today.

That makes sense. Sometimes you just want a 2nd look!

I just booked tickets to this exhibit for mid-March last night. Be advised that the Girl with a Pearl Earing will only be on display at this exhibit through the end of March. However, she will be back at the Koninklijk Museum in The Hague in April. I saw here there last September, and was able to be the only one in the room with her for several minutes. She is normally exhibited in a room with only two other Vermeer paintings (View of Delft and Diana and her Companions). The Hague is only an hour train from Amsterdam.

“ Be advised that the Girl with a Pearl Earing will only be on display at this exhibit through the end of March. However, she will be back at the Koninklijk Museum in The Hague in April. ”

The Girl with the Pearl Earring will be back in the Mauritshuis, not in The Koninklijk Museum. I don’t even know what you mean by that because there is no such thing as a Koninklijk Museum (Royal Museum) in the Netherlands.
The art in the collection of the Mauritshuis is owned by the Dutch state, just like the art in the Rijksmuseum. Our royal family does own art, but it’s on display in palaces like the Royal Palace in Amsterdam or Het Loo in Apeldoorn or behind closed doors in their private quarters.

Koninklijk Museum (Royal Museum of Fine Arts) is in Antwerp, Belgium. To my knowledge it doesn't have any Vermeer but I could be wrong.

Just got back from NYC and a re-visit to the MET. They have 5 Vermeers: "Young Woman with Water Pitcher" and "A Maid Asleep" are favorites in that bunch. "Young woman with Lute" feels oddly unfinished and monochromatic. "Allegory of the Catholic Faith" is a bit odd too; like he went for detail in the objects around her at the expense of the main figure's facial details, which are sort of flat. "Study of a young Woman" is OK, just not a favorite, but she wears another pearl earring!

I'm in the process of booking a trip to Amsterdam for the express purpose of seeing this Vermeer exhibit! I'll be booking museum tickets shortly. I'm delighted to find this forum, and I'll be reading Vermeer: A View of Delft before i go.

Well, the good news is with the current exchange rate the 30E price came up as $29.75 on my AMEX card.

If you haven't booked yet, I'd suggest downloading the Rijksmuseum app and booking the ticket thru that so it is readily available. I got so excited I booked from my laptop and then had to do a screen shot, save to both photos and notes apps, etc.

My bad. I copied and pasted the wrong location Yes, the Girl With a Pearl Earring will be in the Mauritshuis after March. Great place to see it, and potentially less crowded, but you should be aware if you are planning a trip to see this painting and this exhibit. I once visited this wonderful painting in The Hague, and was completely alone in the room with her for an extended time.

Love this thread. I had planned to go to The Hague next spring specifically for Girl with the Pearl Earring. Not knowing if she would be there or at the Rijksmuseum . . . I emailed the Mauritshuis. Here is their response:

Dear Victoria Dell,
Thank you for your e-mail.
The Girl with a Pearl Earring (as well as our other Vermeer paintings) will be exhibited at the Rijksmuseum from the 10th of February until the 4th of June 2023.
I hope to have informed you sufficiently.
Met vriendelijke groet,
Kind regards,
Rikki Robben
Medewerker Servicebalie
Employee Service Desk

So . . . . It doesn't look like she'll be back in the Hague by March. Right?

Anyone else have written confirmation? I need a final decision soon.
Thanks,
Victoria

Thank you all for continuing to respond to this thread. I also read the Washington Post article confirming dates, etc. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/vermeer-exhibit-to-unite-milkmaid-girl-with-a-pearl-earring/2022/09/08/162f0320-2f51-11ed-bcc6-0874b26ae296_story.html

The dates of the exhibit and lots of other information can be found on the website of the Rijksmuseum.
The website of the Rijksmuseum is also the only place one should book tickets. Everyone wanting to visit the Vermeer exhibit should remember to both buy a ticket to the Rijksmuseum and to book a €10 supplement time slot for the exhibit. If you have an IAmsterdam card or a museum pass or whatever granting you free access to the Rijksmuseum, you will still need to book a time slot for the Vermeer exhibit. No time slot for the exhibit means no entry!! The Vermeer exhibit is expected to draw huge crowds, it’s highly unlikely that you will be able to book a time slot on the day of your visit.
All details here; https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/vermeer

Sorry, when every I see the title of this thread 'Unique', my brain thinks Han van Meegeren!!!! Fasinating forger! Worth reading his story too!!!!

Victoria, the following post from the Mauritshuis was posted to a Vermeer group on Facebook a few days ago. According to this, The Girl will only be there though March (I tried to make the relative text was made bold, but it doesn't appear to be working, but it is half way down):

Mauritshuis September 8 at 7:00 AM ·
Nederlands onderin 🤍What is the biggest Vermeer exhibition ever, without Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring? Without View of Delft?
And without Diana and her Nymphs?⁠ ⁠ Right?! And that is why you’ll
have to miss our three Vermeer paintings for a few weeks in 2023.
Luckily they won’t travel far. They will get a warm welcome at the
Rijksmuseum 🥰 ⁠ Starting February 10 our colleagues from the
Rijksmuseum will present a unique exhibition about Johannes Vermeer.
Never before have you been able to see so many paintings by Vermeer in
one place. They are bringing together most of Vermeer's paintings from
all over the world.⁠ ⁠🧑‍🎨⁠ Ticket sale has started today, don’t
sleep on it! ⁠ We’re more than happy to lend our Vermeer's for this
special collaboration. View of Delft and Diana and her Nymphs will be
on view the entire exhibit until June 4 2023, *Girl with a Pearl
Earring is back home, at the Mauritshuis, on April 1, 2023**.⁠ ⁠
Obviously we'll be missing the golden trio a lot, but we'll make sure
something special will be on their usual spot .. 🖼️⁠
1. Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, 1665 ⁠
2. Johannes Vermeer, View of Delft, c. 1660-1661 ⁠
3. Johannes Vermeer, Diana and her Nymphs, c. 1653-1654 ⁠
________________________ Wat is de grootste Vermeertentoonstelling ooit zonder Vermeers Meisje met de parel? Zonder Gezicht op Delft? En
zonder Diana en haar nimfen? Precies! En daarom moeten jullie onze
drie Vermeers volgend jaar een paar weken gaan missen. Gelukkig gaan
ze niet ver weg. Ze krijgen een warm welkom in het Rijksmuseum 🥰
Vanaf 10 februari 2023 presenteren onze collega's van het Rijksmuseum
een unieke tentoonstelling over Johannes Vermeer. Nooit zag je zoveel
schilderijen van Vermeer op één plek, bíjna alle Vermeers ter wereld!
Natuurlijk lenen we onze Vermeers maar al te graag uit voor deze
unieke samenwerking. Gezicht op Delft en Diana en haar nimfen zullen
de hele tentoonstelling te zien zijn, ons Meisje met de parel is vanaf
1 april 2023 weer in het Mauritshuis te zien. Ja, we zullen ze
vreselijk gaan missen. Maar we hebben ook al iets heel bijzonders
bedacht voor onze Vermeerzaal. Binnenkort meer... 🙂
1. Johannes Vermeer, Meisje met de parel, 1665
2. Johannes Vermeer, Gezicht op Delft, c. 1660-1661
3. Johannes Vermeer, Diana en haar nimfen, c. 1653-1654

I also disagree that the only place to get info on this painting is from the Rijksmuseum, which has a vested interest in maximizing attendance at their exhibit. The best place for info is from the actual owner of the painting which is the Mauritshuis.

I will add that I saw all three Mauritshuis Vermeer paintings last October. It is a smaller museum (which I prefer) and I was able to be alone in the room with The Girl for several minutes. It was a truly amazing visit. If you have a choice, it may be better to see her there than in a larger museum in a large exhibit. But also beware that these things aren't thrown on a taxi for a quick trip across country. So there will likely be a delay of many days between the painting being installed in Amsterdam and in The Hague.

I saw the Vermeers at the Mauritshuis today! 🙂😍 Uncrowded and I was able to view them with no one around for awhile. "View of Delft" was mesmerizing.

And . . . . my reply from the the Rijkesmuseum . . .
Dear Victoria,

Thank you for your email.

The Girls with the pearl earring will be back at the Mauritshuis from April 1st.
In May you can admire the painting there.

Kind Regards,
Wanda

So . . . . I'm going to go with the second answer since it seems to be the most popular - too funny!

roubrat- Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience at the Mauritshuis. Very much appreciated.
victoria_dell- Thank you for the “second opinion” from the Rijksmuseum. ;)
.Edited to add: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H7eR5TL6bQ4

I saw The Milkmaid at the Rijksmuseum today 😍. I was thrilled! Got there right at 9am and was able to spend time with the Vermeer paintings before it got crowded.

roubrat- Thanks for sharing. Nice to arrive early to beat the crowds. Glad you enjoyed! I don’t know if this interesting article has been mentioned? https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwicnua_oan6AhUaIDQIHap4B0QQFnoECAgQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.artnews.com%2Fart-news%2Fnews%2Fvermeer-milkmaid-painting-underpainting-discovered-scans-1234638705%2F&usg=AOvVaw0_P9gsc_QSg7U2Bm1y0QBC

Art researchers discover one of Dutch artist Vermeer's paintings is not actually his

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/08/1127679191/vermeer-girl-with-a-flute-fake-forgery

@roubrat- thank you for another informative Vermeer story. :)

Booked for May, my 8th trip to the Netherlands, delighted. Scrolling thru the web occasionally for updates on extra events around the Vermeers- I've seen half of them. Does anyyone know of anything spectacular within a couple hours of Amsterdam in connection?
Delft has a little museum with reproductions of "all" his paintings, just down the street from his parent's inn which claims to be his birthhouse. It was a nice couple of nights in a pretty room on a canal.
For those considering the Kroller Mueller, a car rental is easy and enables you to go to the Maritshuis and the Kroller in one day- tho that does not allow time to enjoy the park.
I recall when the K-M had a bus service for day trips from Amsterdam to the museum- thought that was a great idea.
Dutch traveler, I would enjoy a good rijstafel if you have a recommendation. So far, the best one I ever had was in Rotterdam- the name escapes me. The last ones were so-so.
The Frick Museum in NYC has THREE Vermeers.
Kudos for all the art enthusiasm here!

This beautiful book was under the Christmas tree for me today 😀

https://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/art/all/44860/facts.vermeer_the_complete_works.htm

roubrat- Wow! What a special gift. How lucky are you! Enjoy. :)

Oohhhh, nice!!

Oh, roubrat!

https://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/art/all/44860/facts.vermeer_the_complete_works.htm

I've got that large format Vermeer book and several other of the large format Taschen books (Hieronymus Bosch, Bruegel, etc.)

No one has yet to do a better job. That's a surprisingly good price!