The Mauritshuis in The Hague announced it will loan Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" (circa 1665) to the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka, Japan, this summer while the Dutch museum closes for building alterations from August 24 to September 20. Separately, President Donald Trump's administration released a memo on January 7 stating the US will withdraw from over 60 international groups, including ICCROM and IFACCA, which focus on arts and cultural heritage preservation, arguing these bodies operate contrary to US interests.
The loan of Vermeer's masterpiece is significant because the painting, one of only 37 attributed to the artist, has been effectively grounded since 2014 due to its status as the Mauritshuis's star attraction, making this a rare and highly exceptional event. The US withdrawal from international arts and cultural heritage groups marks a major policy shift that could impact global cooperation on preservation and arts funding, especially as the National Endowment for the Arts—an IFACCA member—has faced repeated attempts at elimination by the Trump administration.