A Window on the Left
A tiny glimplse of the Vermeer Exhibition
From February 10th up until June 4th 2023, the largest Vermeer exhibition ever is held in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. With 28 of the 37 paintings attributed to Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) in one location. From all over the world. From The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Frick Collection in New York to the Louvre in Paris. And of course the ones that were already on display in Amsterdam.
Entirely sold out
The interest has been massive. Like the paintings, people from all over the globe, willing to travel to Amsterdam to visit the Exhibition. Initially sold out, the extra tickets made available by the Rijksmuseum were also gone in a wink of eye. And now not a single ticket is available anymore. Maybe trained by hyped mints, I was lucky enough to get tickets with the extra sale. And fortunately booked a date before the Girl with a Pearl Earring moves back to the Mauritshuis in The Hague.
Eyes or lenses
Personally I find it pretty exciting to see this kind of interest for art. As a result of that interest though, it is of course extremely busy once you are in. Patience is really a virtue here. When you take your time to navigate you will be able to see all the paintings from up close.
Curious thing I witnessed was people trying to make their way towards a painting in a haste, only to shoot their photo and move on to the next. To each his/her own but I did not come to make a picture of a painting. I wanted to observe the art with my own eyes. Yes of course I shot some images. But more as an impression of the Exhibition. Feeling blessed that I was able to visit this historic coming together of Vermeer’s work.
For those who missed out on tickets or could not make it for other reasons, you can read and see more on Vermeer on the website of the Rijksmuseum. For example:
If you already managed to get tickets, be there, take your time and enjoy!
”The absolute Vermeer, in a show more precious than Pearls”
~ The New York Times
* Displayed works in the video:
Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window
The Milkmaid
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Mistress and Maid
The Glass of Wine
Girl interrupted in Her Music
Allegory of Faith
Woman Holding a Balance