After 16 weeks, the record-breaking Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum has concluded, leaving an indelible mark on the art world.
ADVERTISEMENTThe blockbuster exhibition of paintings by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer closed its doors for the final time on the weekend, with the art and history national museum of the Netherlands hailing the show as its most successful ever.
The Rijksmuseum said the exhibition that drew on collections around the world to bring together 28 of the 37 paintings generally ascribed to Vermeer attracted 650,000 visitors from 113 countries during its 16-week run that started in early February.
The large number of visitors - including French President Emmanuel Macron, movie director Steven Spielberg and Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis - came despite the museum limiting numbers to ensure everybody got a good view of masterpieces such as “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and “The Milkmaid.”
“Vermeer is the artist of peacefulness and intimacy. We wanted the visitors to enjoy it to the fullest,” museum general director Taco Dibbits said. “This was only possible by limiting the number of visitors.”
The exhibition included seven paintings that had never previously been displayed publicly in the Netherlands, among them three from The Frick Collection in New York.
Where can you now see Vermeer's paintings in Europe?
For those who were unable to secure the highly coveted tickets, the Rijksmuseum has ensured a continued opportunity to appreciate Vermeer's brilliance.
Within the Gallery of Honour, six Vermeer paintings will remain on exhibit, including four from the museum's own collection, alongside "The Girl with the Red Hat" from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and "Young Woman Seated at a Virginal" from The Leiden Collection in New York.
Arguably Vermeer's most famous painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is available to see in the Mauritshuis museum in Den Haag. The museum is also home to Vermeer's "View of the Delft" and "Diana and her Companions".
Here's a list of other European museums containing Vermeer paintings:
Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt, Germany - "The Geographer".
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, Germany - "The Glass of Wine" and "Woman with a Pearl Necklace".
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland - "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary".
National Gallery, London, England - "A Lady Standing at a Virginal" and A Lady Seated at a Virginal".
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France - "The Lacemaker" and "The Astronomer".
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria - "The Art of Painting".
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland - "Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid".
The Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England - "The Music Lesson".
