Queues in Japan for 'Girl with a Pearl Earring': 'Almost Seen Here as Something Sacred'
On its fourth visit to the country, Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring is once again incredibly popular in Japan. On the first day, long lines stretch through the summer heat in front of the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka. Enthusiasts wait for hours before opening for the special visit from the Netherlands. Only Japanese princess Aiko was allowed to have a brief audience with the girl without waiting.
"People want to touch me as soon as they hear I work at the Mauritshuis. This painting is that special," says Martine Gosselink, director of the Mauritshuis in The Hague, who traveled along. "The Girl is almost seen here as something sacred. So it makes sense that she goes to Japan."
"It is our most important painting, so we almost never lend it out," Gosselink says about the special trip. "That is only possible now because we are going to renovate." It may even be "the last time" the painting travels this far.
Ticket system overloaded
A previous Vermeer exhibition in Osaka attracted about 600,000 visitors in 2000. When Girl with a Pearl Earring hung in Tokyo and Kobe in 2012, a total of 1.2 million people came. That is almost one in a hundred Japanese.
"When we heard the work could only go to one location, I wanted to bring it to Osaka," says Reiko Horikoshi of the Asahi Shimbun, co-organizer of the exhibition. "It is an exceptional opportunity to stand here opposite the original."
This time too, the interest was overwhelming. During the presale, the ticket system became overloaded. The sale on a first-come, first-served basis was therefore replaced by a lottery. "All tickets are valid for a fixed day and time," says Horikoshi. No day tickets are available at the museum box office.
Strict security conditions apply to the loan. "I cannot say anything about the details, but the painting is secured according to the highest international standards," Horikoshi assures. Gosselink is not worried: "She will certainly come back."
A wooden 'Girl'
A stone's throw from the museum sounds the rhythmic tapping of hammers on chisels. Maeda's studio smells of fresh wood, the floor is littered with shavings. With calloused hands, he carefully takes a large, square wooden panel out of the bubble wrap.
"I wanted to show the elusive quality of Vermeer's painting. But how do you express that in wood? I struggled a lot with that," he says.
Anyone who walks in immediately recognizes the face. The turban, half-open mouth, and round earring: Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. But this version does not consist of paint and canvas. Using traditional Japanese woodcarving techniques, Maeda made a three-dimensional version, especially for her arrival in his Osaka.
During a study trip in 2022, Maeda already saw the painting in the Mauritshuis, like many Japanese who travel to The Hague to see her with their own eyes. "I could hardly believe it when I heard she was coming to Osaka, to a museum nearby here."
He still remembers his first encounter. "She has a certain aura that you cannot shake off. Now people here get the chance to see this Dutch masterpiece. I think that will release a lot."
Enormous interest
The Vermeer craze extends far beyond the exhibition hall. In the museum shop, there are stacks of Nijntje plush toys, sweets, coffee mugs, keychains, and jackets, all inspired by the girl. There are even very expensive paintings on which famous Japanese animation characters wear her clothing. Jeweler Mikimoto made three real versions of the possibly fictional earring. The most expensive costs over 100,000 euros.
"The Netherlands is blessed with great artists who receive a lot of attention in Japan," says ambassador Gilles Beschoor-Plug, who came to Osaka for the opening. "That increases interest in the Netherlands and helps us enormously in our work here."
Japan is also a focus country within Dutch international cultural policy. "We bring artists from our countries together a lot," says Heleen Bakker, director-general for European Cooperation at Foreign Affairs. "So this is good for the reputation of the Netherlands. We can build on that."
When Maeda finally stands again opposite the real painting, he sees a similarity with his craft. "Just as I sometimes let the wood speak for itself, Vermeer lets his paint speak for itself." That quiet refinement makes the painting so beloved in Japan. "That the girl moves so many people here is no coincidence."