Rijksmuseum extends final dates of Vermeer exhibit to 2 a.m.; Last chance ticket lottery

The Rijksmuseum will extend the opening hours of its special Vermeer exhibition to a closing time into the early morning hours on June 2 and June 3. By extending the opening hours to 2 a.m., the museum will be able to sell an extra 2,600 tickets to see the show. The exhibition ends at 6 p.m. on June 4.

Those who want to obtain a ticket for the exhibition can register on the Amsterdam museum's website. Ticket requests must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday. "The Rijksmuseum will then select the successful applicants using a computer-generated random selection process supervised by a notary," the museum said in a statement. Those selected will receive an email by Tuesday at the latest, at which point they can order tickets.

The exhibition at the Amsterdam museum is among the most celebrated showcases in the art world this year. It has brought together 28 paintings by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, who died at the age of 43 in 1675. Only 37 paintings by Vermeer are known to exist. Seven of his paintings currently on display at the Rijksmuseum have never been shown before.

"Rave reviews across national and international media led to the exhibition selling out just three days into its run," the museum said. It extended the opening hours of the exhibition, to grant access to more visitors, which also sold out in a matter of days. The ticket selling process was also plagued with technical issues due to the increased demand.

It is the first time that such a large number of Vermeer paintings have been shown in one space. The show initially included the artist's famous Girl with a Pearl Earring, which already returned to the Mauritshuis in The Hague ahead of the high season for tourism to the country.