Rijksmuseum's Most successful Exhibition in its history: Vermeer

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 2023

In 2023, the Rijksmuseum assembled the largest collection of Vermeer paintings ever gathered under one roof. I made the pilgrimage to Amsterdam — joining visitors from every corner of the world — to stand before 28 works by the master of quiet light.

This essay is published exclusively on Of Pigment & Place.

The Complete List: Paintings in the Exhibition The exhibition featured an astonishing 28 of Vermeer’s known works, including:

1. A Lady Writing, 1664–67, National Gallery of Art, Washington 

2. A Young Woman seated at a Virginal, c. 1670–72, The National Gallery, London 

3. A Young Woman standing at a Virginal, 1670–72, The National Gallery, London 

4. Allegory of the Catholic Faith, 1670–74, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

5. Christ in the House of Mary and Martha, 1654–55, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh

6. Diana and her Nymphs, 1655–56, Mauritshuis, The Hague 

7. Girl Interrupted at Her Music, c. 1659–61, The Frick Collection, New York 

8. Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, 1657-58, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden 

9. Girl with a Flute, 1664–67, National Gallery of Art, Washington 

10. Girl with a Pearl Earring, 1664–67, Mauritshuis, The Hague  

11. Girl with the Red Hat, 1664–67, National Gallery of Art, Washington 

12. Mistress and Maid, c. 1665–67, The Frick Collection, New York 

13. Officer and Laughing Girl, 1657-58, The Frick Collection, New York 

14. Saint Praxedis, 1655, Kufu Company Inc., The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

15. The Geographer, 1669, Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main 

16. The Glass of Wine, c. 1659-61, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie 

17. The Lacemaker, 1666–68, Musée du Louvre, Paris 

18. The Love Letter, 1669-70, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 

19. The Milkmaid, 1658-59, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 

20. The Procuress, 1656, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden

21. View of Delft, 1660-61, Mauritshuis, The Hague  

22. View of Houses in Delft, known as ‘The Little Street’, 1658-59, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

23. Woman Holding a Balance, ca. 1662–64, National Gallery of Art, Washington

24. Woman in blue Reading a Letter, 1662-64, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 

25. Woman with a Pearl Necklace, c. 1662-64, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie

26. Woman Writing a Letter, with her Maid, 1670–72, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin

27. Young Woman Seated at a Virginal, c. 1670‐72, The Leiden Collection, New York

28. Young Woman with a Lute, 1662–64, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York