Art lovers have something to look forward to this summer, with one of the world's most celebrated masterpieces set to return to Japan. Johannes Vermeer's iconic Girl with a Pearl Earring will be the centerpiece of a special exhibition at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka, running from August 21st to September 27th, 2026. It marks the painting's first appearance in Japan in 14 years and may well be its last.
Often called "the most famous girl in the world," Girl with a Pearl Earring is owned by the Mauritshuis in The Hague, a museum that rarely allows the work to travel. Its previous visit to Japan was part of the Mauritshuis Exhibition held in Tokyo and Kobe from 2012 to 2013, and attracted around 1.2 million visitors. That history, combined with the Mauritshuis' strict lending policy, makes this Osaka showing a rare and potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Painted around 1665, the work is a "tronie," depicting an imagined figure rather than a portrait of a real person. Vermeer's mastery of light is evident in the soft modeling of the girl's face, the subtle sheen of her lips, and the luminous pearl itself. The vivid blue of her turban, created using lapis lazuli (which was more valuable than gold in the 17th century!) is a hallmark of what's often called "Vermeer Blue."
Alongside Girl with a Pearl Earring, the exhibition will feature other paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, offering wider context to Vermeer's era and artistic legacy. Further details, including ticketing information, are expected to be announced around the end of February 2026.
