For Vermeer lovers
 

and hopefully in a less restricted world:
https://www.theguardian.com/artandde...st-of-its-kind

10 February 2023 to 4th June 2023, biggest collections of Vermeers in one place, probably for the last time ever. Not all of them, some are too fragile to travel, but certainnly (hopefully?) more than the 23 shown in 1996 at the Mauritshuis.

This sounds like a wonderful exhibit. I am sending to my good friend who is a Vermeer lover and has the Netherlands on her list of places she most wants to visit. Thanks for posting

Thanks,Heti. A trip to The Netherlands to see this exhibit would be wonderful to have on my calendar.

Every time Vermeer is mentioned here, I feel obligated to remind people about the fascinating documentary called Tim's Vermeer.
I'm not sure where you can find it at this point but it's certainly worth looking for.

Thanks, hetismij. This will be an astounding exhibition.

I woke to this news on my social feed this morning. I'm hearing it's 24 Vermeers. Mauritshuis confirmed all of theirs are going. I became friendly with an art historian in Amsterdam during the pandemic, I'm off to write him to see what he knows. He works out of the Rijksmuseum, so he ought to know more. Please let this damn pandemic be over so we can get back out there for things like this!

Whether Tim's Vermeer technique is right or not, it is still astounding that someone in the 17th century could use such technology, which then seemingly was forgotten until Tim Jennison came along with Penn and Teller. There has long been speculation about him using a camera obscura of course.
It won't stop me going and enjoying the exhibition and the paintings, whether using "modern" technology or artistic talent or a combination of the two.

is one place you can find it.

Oh, that would never stop me from loving the paintings any more than it would any artist using whatever new 'technology' existed for them in terms of materials.
Vermeer aside, it was a fascinating documentary about light and vision.

Thanks! We have a trip tentatively planned to Brussels and Paris in late winter/spring 2022 -- perhaps we could squeeze in a couple of days in Amsterdam or Delft. Or even a day trip (my husband is not a fan of Amsterdam, so he might stay behind in Delft).

I am going to Amsterdam with a Vermeer lover in April 2022. Maybe there will be another trip in 2023. Thanks for posting this.

Thanks for this, heti. I agree about Tim's Vermeer movie...very interesting. FWIW, Canaletto used the camera obscuro also. A Vermeer GTG would be very nice!

I love Vermeer,and loved seeing some of his works for the first time in the Netherlands in 1970. I missed The Girl with the Pearl Earring when it was at the de Young in San Francisco but have one of their street banners announcing the exhibition hanging in our sunroom. The opposite side has the dates of the exhibit and the de Young name; these lined the street in front of the museum and were hung on standards so both sides could be seen, one from each direction. You can see it in the background below; it's my favorite thing in the room.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...14ecb1f1fb.jpg

Thanks for posting this. I just told my husband we should pencil this in for possible travel in 2023. Perhaps we'll all see each other there?!

Oh, I'm definitely there! Thanks!

I was very taken with Vermeer when I was in the Netherlands many years ago. I would LOVE to see this exhibit - sighs....

I am very interested. Hoping to do a tulip river cruise in spring, 2023. This would fit right in. If anyone hears anything about getting tickets, please post it here.

We saw 21 Vermeers at the National Gallery in Washington about 25 years ago. The exhibit was packed and it was almost impossible to get a good look at each one. I'm sure the crowds will be even worse for the 2023 show. I'm going to put it on my calendar anyway.

Thank you. Adding this to my bucket list.

The crowds are what came to mind for me, too.

Last time I was at the Rijksmuseum (many years ago now) it was under renovation and only some of the collection was on exhibit. I also recall the Van Gogh Museum being physically unappealing. But, the actual art I saw in Amsterdam was breathtaking and still imprinted in my visual memory. Possibly this exhibit is worth braving the crowds and the bachelor parties etc. to visit again.

betsy - tying it in with tulips would be an embarrassment of riches! Hope you can get there.

Thanks for sharing this Heti.

I fully expect it will be by timed ticket admission only to spread the crowds, just as a normal ticket is.
I love the van Gogh Museum, maybe you were thinking of the Stedelijk which is pug ugly?

Heti - it was the one where Sunflowers has its home IIRC. But, I recall a lot of things in both museums were moved about due to renovations. I can’t recall how many years ago - probably over 10.


ps Maybe a positive of Covid will be less people per time slot - IME, those timed admissions are still very crowded and I’m short so often get frustrated when tall people stand in front of me. The jostling to see great art really detracts from the experience for me.

That's the van Gogh yes. I think it works really well as a museum.
I went a couple of years ago now for the Hockney exhibition. We had my grandsons birthday to go to so we didn't visit the main part again, or the Rijks.
Living where we do now it is a total pia to get to Amsterdam sadly. What used to be a simple 40 minute train ride is now a minimum of 2 hours 40 minutes and several changes by train or an hour by car plus finding parking at a park and ride and bus into town.
From where we used to live I could get to Cologne in about the same time as it now takes me to get Amsterdam by train. And for less money!!!

I hope so but am skeptical. I've been to too many "tickets only" exhibitions where the museums clearly oversold the number of tickets. Even with timed tickets, the exhibitions were uncomfortably packed to the rafters, as people tended to stay longer than usual. Meaning that earlier timed entry groups were still there even as new timed groups were pouring in. Timing really only works if there are timed exits (as in: ok, you've been here long enough, move along) as well as entrances, but nobody seems to do that. And with an artist as popular as Vermeer....

I am glad I got to see his paintings at Mauritshuis while visiting on a rainy Feb day; the museum was practically empty. And at the Vienna art museum, I had their Vermeer to myself for 20 minutes.

This is an interesting site on all things Vermeer, including where to find his paintings. Essential Vermeer

Update on this...I was chatting with one of the scholars writing the catalog for this exhibition. He said they've requested loans so that they'll have 32 Vermeers. Three cannot travel: the Woman Sleeping at the Met (because of Robert Lehman's conditions in his bequest), the Kenwood House Vermeer due to the National Trust's rules and the Art of Painting, which they think is too fragile to make the trek from Vienna. The rest are all tentatively in play. They are planning for them anyway. There is also a "newly discovered" Vermeer in a private collection in Japan that they are trying to get on loan. Rijksmuseum is also trying to decide whether to hang them chronologically or try to develop a theme that will help beginner art fans understand Vermeer. The fear is if you just hang them without a context, not everyone will learn something. Realistically due to the fragility of the paintings, it's the last chance to properly educate on Vermeer's entire oeuvre in one place and they want to take advantage of that. At the same time, the Mauritshuis will have an exhibition on Vermeer's influence and those who were influence by Vermeer. Unless COVID gets in the way, I'm planning on going in March.

This seems so fantastic! A once in a lifetime chance.

Did we meet standing on line?

What a great opportunity! We too saw the exhibit at the National Gallery and were totally awed by the paintings. Now if only the NG could assemble a Leonardo exhibit to go along with his only painting in North America. Probably not in my lifetime.

They're able to get the ones in the Frick? I thought those were not permitted to be moved either. In fact, they couldn't even take them across Fifth to the Met! Maybe it's because the Frick is being remodeled.

I was supposed to go to Amsterdam in April 2020 and well you know... Then we booked to go this April but we worried about getting out of Amsterdam so cancelled. So we are planning for next April. I am traveling with my best friend from college who is a Vermeer fanatic.

He said “all of them are in play” and none have been refused yet, except for the 3 they already know can’t loan. But he did seem to think the door wasn’t completely closed on the Vienna Vermeer. I read that the Frick did plan to showcase The Frick Vermeers at the Madison Ave location. I haven’t been to NYC since March 2020 though to see for myself. Anyone else know?

From their website.

New Perspectives on Old Masters

The Frick Madison installation will be presented across three floors of the Breuer building, with paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts organized by time period, geographic region, and media. Highlighting strengths in particular schools and genres, the display will present the collection in galleries dedicated to Northern European, Italian, Spanish, British, and French art, setting the stage for rooms dedicated exclusively to works by individual artists, including Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Van Dyck. “Through fresh juxtapositions we will present our masterpieces in a completely different light, revealing unexpected relationships between subjects, artists, and media,” states Salomon. “For example, the Frick’s small but significant group of Spanish paintings, by artists from El Greco to Goya, will be shown together for the first time. The opportunity to deconstruct and re-present our collection in this way offers an invaluable learning experience that will enrich our understanding and enjoyment of the collection while we are at Frick Madison, as well as when we return to the domestic setting of 1 East 70th Street.”

Are the dates still supposed to be Feb. 10, 2023-June 4, 2023?

Yes it is.

Thanks for this. I just wish it were going to be on when I am in Amsterdam this coming September.

Thanks for the heads up. I suspect it may take a lot of advance planning to get travel, lodging and timed tickets all coordinated I surely want to go.

Agreed. The timing is a bit unfortunate too because it hits during tulip season, which is already a very busy time in and around Amsterdam from late March to early May.

Bookmarking -- Any information on where tickets can be obtained when they are available would be great. TIA

Tickets are now available (I had signed up for the museum newsletter so got notice). I was able to buy mine online today through the Rijksmuseum website. Very excited!!! Thanks to the OP for letting us know about the exhibit.

I happily received the email on this today and I was wondering if anyone would know what the "Vermeer EYCA" ticket was or the "Vermeer - City Card, Go City" was. I'm thinking of doing the "becoming a friend" option.

This is very exciting.
might be a GTG opportunity since so much interest.

So it turns out one of the D.C. Vermeers isn’t in fact a Vermeer. I’ve never really thought it was, but… Link here
I’d confirmed with one of the Rijksmuseum art historians that all 4 D.C. Vermeers would be in the Rijksmuseum show, now I wonder… He’s traveling in the US now so I’ll reach out to him when he returns to see what the word is.