The Rijksmuseum is organizing a large-scale Vermeer exhibition.The exhibition will include masterpieces such as The Girl with a Pearl Earring (Mauritshuis, The Hague), The Geographer (Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main), Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid (The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin) and Woman Holding a Balance (The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC).
Works never before shown to the public in the Netherlands will include the newly restored Girl Reading a Letter at the Open Window from the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden.
Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, ca. 1657-59
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden
The research for this exhibition focuses on Vermeer’s artistry, his artistic choices and motivations for his compositions, as well as into the creative process of his paintings.Researchers work closely with the Mauritshuis in The Hague. A team of curators, restorers and natural scientists to examine in depth the seven paintings by Vermeer in Dutch possession, inlcuding The Milkmaid, The Little Street, The Love Letter and Woman Reading a Letter. Works by Vermeer from other collections are also involved in this project.
Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), Girl Interrupted at Her Music, ca. 1660-61
Frick Collection, New York
Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) lived and worked in Delft. His work is best known for his tranquil, introverted indoor scenes, his unprecedented use of bright, colorful light and his convincing illusionism. In contrast to Rembrandt, Vermeer left a remarkably small oeuvre with about 35 paintings. As his paintings generally considered the most prized treasures of every museum collection, Vermeer paintings are rarely lent out.
Parallel to the Vermeer exhibition in the Rijksmuseum, Museum Prinsenhof Delft will organise the exhibition The Delft of Vermeer (10 February to 4 June 2023). This will be the first ever exhibition to explore in depth the cultural-historical context in which Vermeer’s practice flourished. Works by Delft contemporaries are displayed alongside Delft pottery, Delft carpets, archival materials and letters.