Mayor Van Zanen visited the Mauritshuis last week to bid a farewell to Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring . The world-famous painting will travel temporarily to the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka later this year, due to the closure of the Mauritshuis for renovations (August 24 to September 20, 2026). From August 15 to October 4, the girl will not be on display at the Mauritshuis.
The mayor gave ‘the girl’ a Hague luggage tag with a stork in advance for a safe journey to Japan. This was received by Martine Gosselink, Director of the Mauritshuis.
Mayor Van Zanen said during the visit: “The Girl with the Pearl Earring is world-famous, but in The Hague she feels like our own. We entrust her to Osaka for a little while with peace of mind. With this Hague luggage tag, we ensure she arrives safely. Osaka, take good care of our girl. We wish you a very good journey and look forward to her return.”
In August, Mayor Van Zanen will go on an official trip to Japan and South Korea. Various appointments with the business community, cultural institutions, and international representatives are on the agenda. During this visit, he will also visit the Girl with the Pearl Earring at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art.
Text: Gemeente Den Haag. Translation to English: The Hague Online.
Photos (Phil Nijhuis).
