Arab News

Japan’s Ministry of Culture has issued a two-week closure of all national art museums, with Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting from one of the Post-Impressionist painter’s most famous series part of the quarantine in Tokyo.

Van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting, which was on its way from London’s National Gallery, was set to be the major highlight of an exhibition, “Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London,” March 3 at Tokyo’s National Museum of Western Art.

The museum planned to showcase over 60 featured works, the largest selection of London’s National Gallery’s paintings to tour internationally.

“We are consulting closely with our partners…we hope that the exhibition will be able to open on 17 March 2020, or as soon as possible after that,” the London museum said in a statement.

Many famous artworks will remain in Japan’s museum quarantine for the time being, with an extended closure expected.