Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation (1472-75), on loan from the Uffizi in Florence, attracted an astounding 10,071 visitors a day to the Tokyo National Museum over three months last year. This is the highest daily average for any exhibition since we began compiling attendance figures in 1997.
The painting was sent to Japan from March to June 2007 as part of Italian Spring, a series of events organised to promote Italian trade and tourism. Its departure from the Uffizi (it had only left the gallery three times before: twice in the 1930s for shows in Paris and Milan and during World War II when it was removed for safekeeping) provoked a storm of protest in Italy over fears that travel to Japan could damage the work. Over 300 prominent Italians, including film-maker Franco Zeffirelli, signed a letter of protest. Senator Paolo Amato chained himself to the gates of the Uffizi. In the end, the controversy merely served to fuel the publicity machine. This, combined with the Japanese appetite for Western, and particularly Italian art, sent “The Mind of Leonardo” to the top of our exhibition attendance list, despite the fact that the show consisted of only one painting displayed alongside several reproduction codices.
For the fourth year running, the Tokyo National Museum tops the list. Tokyo routinely produces enormous visitor figures, thanks to a combination of vast exhibition spaces and a 35 million-strong conurbation. But “Leonardo” was even higher than 2005’s record-breaking attendance for “Hokusai” at the same museum, which averaged 9,436 a day.
This year, for the first time, we also asked museums to submit their total attendance figures for last year calculated from 1 January to 31 December 2007. On this list, the Tokyo National Museum only comes in at number 17 with a total of 1,772,255.
Unsurprisingly, counting total attendance immediately catapults the great, historic museums of art and culture high up the list: the Louvre in Paris comes first with 8.3m, the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Vatican Museums, the Hermitage, the Prado, all do well here. What is perhaps more impressive is the high placement of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow which reopened after a £29m National Lottery-funded refurbishment in 2006. Before its closure it only had 955,671 visitors: now, with 2.23m, it has the same number as the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Guggenheim in Bilbao combined. Meanwhile, the Centre Pompidou has overtaken Tate Modern as the world’s most visited modern art museum, probably a result of the rehang of the galleries and extensive marketing associated with its 30th anniversary celebrations.
As usual, we have made a selection of top temporary shows by category. Here there are few surprises: Monet tops the impressionist and modern list, Tutankhamun the antiquities list and Richard Serra the contemporary list.
Figures compiled by Lauren Conrad, Hélène Ducaté and Kirsty McGregor
Methodology
All figures were calculated automatically by our database, which computes the number of days an exhibition was open using the following formula: total number of days between start date and end date, divided by seven, multiplied by the number of days per week the institution is open, minus exceptional closures. As this formula always produces an imperfect number (a division of seven) all figures are out by a potential margin of 2%. However, as the same margin applies uniformly to all averages given, the list represents a fair comparison.
All data used was supplied by the institutions concerned. Many institutions have one ticket for the entire museum and cannot provide individual attendance for temporary exhibitions. Some institutions offer a number of exhibitions for a single ticket: these are shown as one entry.
10,071 796,004 The Mind of Leonardo Tokyo National Museum Tokyo 20 Mar-17 Jun
9,273 704,420 Monet’s Art and its Posterity National Art Center Tokyo Tokyo 7 Apr-2 Jul
9,067 425,492 Legacy of the Tokugawa Tokyo National Museum Tokyo 10 Oct-2 Dec
8,585 737,074 Richard Serra Sculpture: 40 Years Museum of Modern Art New York 3 Jun-10 Sep
7,268 574,207 Masterpieces of French Painting from the Met Museum of Fine Arts Houston Houston 4 Feb-6 May
6,856 493,886 Milkmaid by Vermeer and Dutch Genre Painting National Art Center Tokyo Tokyo 26 Sep-17 Dec
6,239 482,179 From Cézanne to Picasso Musée d’Orsay Paris 19 Jun-16 Sep
6,115 677,000 Masterpieces of French Painting from the Met Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin 1 Jun-7 Oct
5,375 1,290,000 Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs Franklin Institute Philadelphia 3 Feb-30 Sep
5,269 330,446 What is Painting? Museum of Modern Art New York 7 Jul-17 Sep
5,192 505,082 The Age of Rembrandt Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 18 Sep-6 Jan 2008
4,824 490,002 Cézanne to Picasso Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 14 Sep 06-7 Jan
4,774 811,500 The Guggenheim Collection Kunsthalle der Bundesrepublik Bonn 21 Jul 06-7 Jan
4,771 1,044,743 Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs Field Museum Chicago 26 May 06-1 Jan
4,702 483,000 Van Gogh in Budapest Museum of Fine Arts Budapest Budapest 1 Dec 06-1 Apr
4,625 1,110,044 Manet to Picasso National Gallery London 22 Sep 06-23 May
4,398 334,221 Albrecht Dürer: Prints from the Städel Museum Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 26 Jun-9 Sep
4,246 164,400 Double Life/André Kertész Photography Exhibition Istanbul Modern Istanbul 22 Dec 06-4 Feb
4,156 432,263 Treasures of the World Cultures National Palace Museum Taipei 13 Feb-27 May
4,133 322,383 Unknowns: Mapping Contemporary Basque Art Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 6 Jul-23 Sep
4,009 340,766 Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World Sackler Gallery Washington 24 Jun-16 Sep
3,989 315,266 The Whole World in Paris: Foreign Artists in Paris National Art Center Tokyo Tokyo 7 Feb-7 May
3,970 267,691 Ron Mueck Brooklyn Museum New York 3 Nov 06-4 Feb
3,970 267,691 Annie Leibovitz: a Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005 Brooklyn Museum New York 3 Nov 06-4 Feb
3,917 229,403 Family Pictures Guggenheim Museum New York 9 Feb-16 Apr
3,915 340,582 Bill Viola: Hatsu-Yume (First Dream) Mori Art Museum Tokyo 14 Oct 06-8 Jan
3,856 253,973 Brice Marden: a Retrospective Museum of Modern Art New York 29 Oct 06-15 Jan
3,812 273,926 Manet and the Execution of Maximilian Museum of Modern Art New York 5 Nov 06-29 Jan
3,788 311,700 Americans in Paris, 1860–1900 Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 24 Oct 06-28 Jan
3,760 135,486 The 100th Anniversary of Nitten National Art Center Tokyo Tokyo 25 Jul-3 Sep
3,721 52,093 The Power of Expression, Japan National Art Center Tokyo Tokyo 21 Jan-4 Feb
3,707 576,214 Anselm Kiefer Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 28 Mar-9 Sep
3,696 243,400 Eye on Europe: Prints, Books and Multiples Museum of Modern Art New York 15 Oct 06-1 Jan
3,667 283,903 Barcelona and Modernity: Gaudí to Dalí Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 7 Mar-3 Jun
3,656 248,097 Jeff Wall Museum of Modern Art New York 25 Feb-14 May
3,502 400,172 Spanish Painting from El Greco to Picasso Guggenheim Museum New York 17 Nov 06-28 Mar
3,484 348,367 All About Laughter: Humour in Contemporary Art Mori Art Museum Tokyo 27 Jan-6 May
3,393 266,085 Poiret: King of Fashion Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 9 May-5 Aug
3,327 792,316 Colour Field Paintings Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 20 Jun 06-12 Mar
3,321 325,000 Caspar David Friedrich Hamburger Kunsthalle Hamburg 7 Oct 06-28 Jan
3,288 302,520 Velázquez National Gallery London 18 Oct 06-21 Jan
3,280 166,793 Kisho Kurokawa National Art Center Tokyo Tokyo 21 Jan-19 Mar
3,273 288,918 Portraiture in the Age of Picasso Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Madrid 6 Feb-20 May
3,253 273,747 Sargent-Sorolla Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Madrid 3 Oct 06-8 Jan
3,245 186,817 Manet’s Bar at the Folies Bergère Getty Museum Los Angeles 5 Jul-9 Sep
3,204 346,000 Picasso: Paintings Against Time Albertina Vienna 22 Sep 06-7 Jan
3,095 257,738 Patinir Museo Nacional del Prado Madrid 3 Jul-7 Oct
3,092 212,000 Rembrandt the Draughtsman Louvre Paris 20 Oct 06-8 Jan
3,092 212,000 William Hogarth Louvre Paris 20 Oct 06-8 Jan
3,064 228,933 Spaces to Live Reina Sofia Madrid 8 Feb-5 May
3,052 107,683 Koldobika Jauregi: Laboratories Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 24 Apr-3 Jun
3,029 169,172 Armando Reverón Museum of Modern Art New York 11 Feb-16 Apr
2,974 268,545 Hugo Boss Prize 2006: Tacita Dean Guggenheim Museum New York 23 Feb-6 Jun
2,960 234,717 Impressionist and Early Modern Paintings Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 22 May-19 Aug
2,941 108,917 Zen Treasures from the Kyoto Gozan Temples Tokyo National Museum Tokyo 31 Jul-9 Sep
2,920 43,798 The Royal College of Art Summer Show Royal College of Art London 14 Jun-28 Jun
2,913 167,705 Defining Modernity: European Drawings Getty Museum Los Angeles 5 Jul-9 Sep
2,879 281,728 Present Tense: Photographs by JoAnn Verburg Museum of Modern Art New York 15 Jul-5 Nov
2,852 237,560 Van Gogh: Last Landscapes, May-July 1890 Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Madrid 12 Jun-16 Sep
2,788 239,349 Comic Abstraction Museum of Modern Art New York 4 Mar-11 Jun
2,751 202,988 Palazuelo: Working Process Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 13 Mar-3 Jun
2,749 188,913 Treasures of the World Cultures Hong Kong Museum of Art Hong Kong 14 Sep-2 Dec
2,707 227,797 Glitter and Doom: German Portraits Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 14 Nov 06-19 Feb
2,691 384,823 Directions: Virgil Marti and Pae White Hirshhorn Museum Washington 9 Mar-29 Jul
2,679 110,596 Ikuo Hirayama: a Retrospective National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo 4 Sep-21 Oct
2,668 226,759 La Salve Bridge Art Project Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 19 Oct 06-25 Jan
2,662 252,934 Wolfgang Tillmans Hirshhorn Museum Washington 10 May-12 Aug
2,658 296,572 100% Africa Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 12 Oct 06-18 Feb
2,640 156,508 The Forest of Fontainebleau: a Life-size Studio Musée d’Orsay Paris 6 Mar-13 May
2,634 189,654 Japanese Paintings from the Floating World Royal Ontario Museum Toronto 2 Jun-12 Aug
2,618 206,808 East of Eden: Gardens in Asian Art Sackler Gallery Washington 24 Feb-13 May
2,577 291,409 Passages: Beuys, Darboven, Kiefer and Richter Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 12 Oct 06-25 Feb
2,569 227,552 Divisionism/Neo-impressionism Guggenheim Museum New York 27 Apr-6 Aug
2,555 268,257 Black Box: Takashi Murakami Hirshhorn Museum Washington 28 May-9 Sep
2,545 207,628 Picasso and American Art SFMOMA San Francisco 23 Feb-28 May
2,545 181,426 Bellini, Giorgione, Titian Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna 17 Oct 06-7 Jan
2,533 245,684 Hiroshi Sugimoto: History of History Royal Ontario Museum Toronto 2 Jun-3 Sep
2,457 231,615 Holy Image, Hallowed Ground: Icons from Sinai Getty Museum Los Angeles 14 Nov 06-4 Mar
2,456 225,957 Cézanne in Britain National Gallery London 4 Oct 06-7 Jan
2,426 166,734 Brice Marden: a Retrospective SFMOMA San Francisco 23 Feb-13 May
2,426 166,734 New Work: Sylvie Blocher SFMOMA San Francisco 23 Feb-13 May
2,425 58,900 A Year with Children Guggenheim Museum New York 18 May-13 Jun
2,415 194,896 Olle Bærtling: a Modern Classic National Gallery Oslo 15 Jun-16 Sep
2,395 61,938 Richard Pousette-Dart Guggenheim Museum New York 27 Aug-25 Sep
2,375 319,886 California College of the Arts at 100 SFMOMA San Francisco 23 Mar-26 Aug
2,365 352,410 Turner and the Impressionists Museo di Santa Giulia Brescia 28 Oct 06-25 Mar
2,349 258,034 Martin Munkacsi: Think While You Shoot! SFMOMA San Francisco 12 May-16 Sep
2,316 186,965 New Work: Felix Schramm SFMOMA San Francisco 29 Jun-30 Sep
2,307 223,737 Airs de Paris Centre Pompidou Paris 25 Apr-15 Aug
2,307 314,729 A Hidden Picasso SFMOMA San Francisco 23 Feb-31 Jul
2,301 254,780 California College of the Arts at 100 SFMOMA San Francisco 23 Mar-29 Jul
2,290 300,000 Titian Musée du Luxembourg Paris 13 Sep 06-21 Jan
2,288 196,472 Matisse: Painter as Sculptor SFMOMA San Francisco 9 Jun-16 Sep
2,279 159,500 Summer Exhibition Royal Academy London 11 Jun-19 Aug
2,276 134,932 Jesús Mari Lazkano: Laboratories Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 6 Feb-15 Apr
2,274 309,219 Max Beckmann in Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam 6 Apr-19 Aug
2,255 214,254 Antony Gormley: Blind Light Hayward Gallery London 17 May-19 Aug
2,223 168,000 Praxiteles Louvre Paris 23 Mar-18 Jun
2,210 234,230 Edward Hopper Museum of Fine Arts Boston 6 May-19 Aug
2,204 271,100 Kylie: the Exhibition Victoria and Albert Museum London 8 Feb-10 Jun
2,203 215,552 Anthony McCall and Imi Knoebel SFMOMA San Francisco 9 Jun-30 Sep
2,190 170,808 In the Beginning: Bibles Before the Year 1000 Sackler Gallery Washington 21 Oct 06-7 Jan
2,183 380,867 Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane 2 Dec 06-27 May
2,181 296,580 China: the Birth of the Empire Scuderie del Quirinale Rome 22 Sep 06-4 Feb
2,173 167,934 Grace and Affection, Nature and Artifice National Museum of Western Art Tokyo 29 May-26 Aug
2,165 214,377 Holbein in England Tate Britain London 28 Sep 06-7 Jan
2,157 176,859 Hogarth Tate Britain London 7 Feb-29 Apr
2,155 343,191 Frank Stella on the Roof Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 1 May-28 Oct
2,140 373,424 Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art Queensland Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane 2 Dec 06-27 May
2,136 167,196 Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum Guggenheim Museum New York 13 Apr-11 Jul
2,107 210,700 Rodin Royal Academy London 23 Sep 06-1 Jan
2,104 155,391 2006 SECA Art Award SFMOMA San Francisco 27 Jan-22 Apr
2,104 155,391 Henry Wessel: Photographs SFMOMA San Francisco 27 Jan-22 Apr
2,097 98,133 Chinese Art from the National Museum of China Tokyo National Museum Tokyo 2 Jan-25 Feb
2,084 325,629 Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 21 Nov 06-20 May
2,082 185,904 Annette Messager Centre Pompidou Paris 6 Jun-17 Sep
2,077 369,699 Ancient Peru Unearthed Royal Ontario Museum Toronto 10 Mar-3 Sep
2,065 493,495 Perspectives: Simryn Gill Sackler Gallery Washington 2 Sep 06-29 Apr
2,062 874,203 Ways of Seeing: John Baldessari Explores Hirshhorn Museum Washington 26 Jul 06-23 Sep
2,061 157,501 Lucian Freud Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 6 Jun-2 Sep
2,057 258,062 The Shapes of Space Guggenheim Museum New York 14 Apr-5 Sep
2,053 195,006 BP Portrait Award National Portrait Gallery London 14 Jun-16 Sep
2,000 290,000 René Lalique Musée du Luxembourg Paris 7 Mar-29 Jul
1,991 228,984 Chagall Complesso del Vittoriano Rome 9 Mar-1 Jul
1,956 103,671 Refract, Reflect, Project: Light Works Hirshhorn Museum Washington 15 Feb-8 Apr
1,935 319,332 52nd Venice Biennale Giardini e Arsenale Venice 10 Jun-21 Nov
1,933 170,643 P.H. Emerson and Photography, 1885-95 Getty Museum Los Angeles 27 Mar-8 Jul
1,933 170,643 Photographs of Los Angeles by John Humble Getty Museum Los Angeles 27 Mar-8 Jul
1,900 147,960 60 Years of Magnum Istanbul Modern Istanbul 17 Feb-20 May
1,900 147,960 Is this Fiction? Fifth Video Program Istanbul Modern Istanbul 17 Feb-20 May
1,899 66,990 Contemporary Art for Refugees Musei Capitolini Rome 25 Sep-4 Nov
1,895 423,684 One of a Kind: the Studio Craft Movement Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 22 Dec 06-3 Sep
1,893 280,934 The Perfumes of Aphrodite Musei Capitolini Rome 14 Mar-2 Sep
1,880 185,362 Angkor: Sacred Heritage of Cambodia Kunsthalle der Bundesrepublik Bonn 15 Dec 06-9 Apr
1,878 150,000 Cartier: Innovation Through the 20th Century Moscow Kremlin Museums Moscow 25 May-25 Aug
1,877 171,319 Venice and the Islamic World: 828–1797 Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 27 Mar-8 Jul
1,871 198,911 Oudry’s Painted Menagerie Getty Museum Los Angeles 1 May-2 Sep
1,870 93,219 Mario Ceroli Palazzo delle Esposizioni Rome 6 Oct-2 Dec
1,849 303,004 Under the Spotlights: the Capitoline Wolf Musei Capitolini Rome 21 Apr-28 Oct
1,830 172,052 Renoir Landscapes, 1865-83 National Gallery of Canada Ottawa 8 Jun-9 Sep
1,815 233,679 A Bronze Horse for Many Knights Musei Capitolini Rome 4 May-30 Sep
1,809 128,958 With Sword and Cross Green Vault Dresden 16 May-6 Aug
1,802 180,173 Guggenheim Collection: 1940s to Now National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne 30 Jun-7 Oct
1,793 141,655 Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise Art Institute of Chicago Chicago 28 Jul-14 Oct
1,788 167,282 Once Upon a Time: Disney Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Montreal 8 Mar-24 Jun
1,787 378,849 Paperweights from the ROM’s Collection Royal Ontario Museum Toronto 28 Apr-25 Nov
1,775 126,040 Time Present, Time Past Istanbul Modern Istanbul 9 Sep-2 Dec
1,773 164,400 Venice-Istanbul Istanbul Modern Istanbul 18 Oct 06-2 Feb
1,769 187,988 Photographs from the Berman Collection Getty Museum Los Angeles 24 Oct 06-25 Feb
1,759 89,475 Living in the Material World National Art Center Tokyo Tokyo 21 Jan-19 Mar
1,752 128,407 Nan Kempner: American Chic Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 12 Dec 06-4 Mar
1,750 133,516 Medieval Beasts Getty Museum Los Angeles 1 May-29 Jul
1,749 164,414 Britain Meets the World Palace Museum Beijing 9 Mar-10 Jun
1,743 138,222 Frank Stella: Painting into Architecture Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 1 May-29 Jul
1,742 143,584 William Hogarth Prints Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 6 Jun-9 Sep
1,741 176,357 Edward Weston: Enduring Vision Getty Museum Los Angeles 31 Jul-25 Nov
1,741 176,357 Recent History: Photographs by Luc Delahaye Getty Museum Los Angeles 31 Jul-25 Nov
1,739 260,858 Cézanne in Florence Palazzo Strozzi Florence 2 Mar-29 Jul
1,730 190,000 De Chirico Palazzo Zabarella Padua 20 Jan-27 May
1,695 145,541 Vivienne Westwood: 36 Years in Fashion De Young Museum San Francisco 3 Mar-10 Jun
1,692 151,066 Samuel Beckett Centre Pompidou Paris 14 Mar-25 Jun
1,675 167,504 Creative Destruction Fundación Juan March Madrid 6 Oct 06-14 Jan
1,664 96,511 Tom Malone Glass Prize Art Gallery of Western Australia Perth 11 Aug-7 Oct
1,660 167,689 Dalí and Film Tate Modern London 1 Jun-9 Sep
1,660 217,909 The Emperor’s Ivories Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna 27 Mar-26 Aug
1,651 136,112 Anne Madden: a Retrospective Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 27 Jun-30 Sep
1,650 274,393 Zoopsia: New Works by Tim Hawkinson Getty Museum Los Angeles 6 Mar-16 Sep
1,646 118,496 AWS 2007 Art Gallery New South Wales Sydney 3 Mar-13 May
1,645 519,747 Heaven or Hell Royal Ontario Museum Toronto 25 Nov 06-8 Oct
1,645 172,718 Gustav Klimt and the Company of Artists Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Vienna 20 Jun-2 Oct
1,645 200,659 Matisse and Bonnard Complesso del Vittoriano Rome 6 Oct 06-4 Feb
1,639 137,709 Black Box: Mircea Cantor Hirshhorn Museum Washington 17 Sep-9 Dec
1,636 43,693 James Coleman Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 27 Jul-26 Aug
1,626 191,202 Speed 1 Institut Valencià d’Art Modern Valéncia 22 Feb-8 Jul
1,619 139,239 Impressionists by the Sea Royal Academy London 7 Jul-30 Sep
1,616 129,049 Schiele, Klimt, Kokoschka and Viennese Friends MART Rovereto 7 Oct 06-7 Jan
1,611 132,806 Nalini Malani Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 11 Jul-14 Oct
1,610 126,723 Anselm Kiefer: Heaven and Earth SFMOMA San Francisco 20 Oct 06-21 Jan
1,610 126,723 Jane and Louise Wilson/Fikret Atay SFMOMA San Francisco 20 Oct 06-21 Jan
1,605 434,686 Louvre Atlanta High Museum of Art Atlanta 14 Oct 06-2 Sep
1,605 80,000 European Masterpieces Palazzo del Quirinale Rome 24 Mar-20 May
1,600 137,388 Monet in Normandy Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland 18 Feb-28 May
1,593 168,182 Speed 2 Institut Valencià d’Art Modern Valéncia 22 Feb-24 Jun
1,574 156,754 Speed 3 Institut Valencià d’Art Modern Valéncia 22 Feb-17 Jun
1,573 106,723 Jorge Queiroz Fundaçao Serralves Porto 14 Apr-1 Jul
1,573 106,723 Katharina Grosse Fundaçao Serralves Porto 14 Apr-1 Jul
1,573 106,723 Silvia Bächli Fundaçao Serralves Porto 14 Apr-1 Jul
1,570 199,428 Edvard Munch: Signs of Modern Life Fondation Beyeler Basel 18 Mar-22 Jul
1,567 95,582 Maria Nordman Fundaçao Serralves Porto 6 May-15 Jul
1,566 130,000 The Empire of the Gupta Grand Palais Paris 4 Apr-25 Jun
1,561 104,366 Picasso in American Art Walker Art Center Minneapolis 16 Jun-9 Sep
1,559 123,151 Dan Flavin: a Retrospective LACMA Los Angeles 13 May-12 Aug
1,551 94,582 Massimo Bartolini Fundaçao Serralves Porto 6 May-15 Jul
1,549 129,027 Thomas Demand: L’Esprit d’Escalier Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 28 Feb-4 Jun
1,544 159,915 Tina Modotti and Edward Weston SFMOMA San Francisco 2 Sep 06-2 Jan
1,544 159,915 Contemporary Photography and the Archive SFMOMA San Francisco 2 Sep 06-2 Jan
1,542 137,207 Magritte and Contemporary Art LACMA Los Angeles 19 Nov 06-4 Mar
1,539 147,707 Cézanne to Picasso Art Institute of Chicago Chicago 7 Feb-13 May
1,534 228,612 Mondrian Museo di Santa Giulia Brescia 28 Oct 06-25 Mar
1,531 151,555 David Hockney Portraits National Portrait Gallery London 12 Oct 06-21 Jan
1,530 91,791 In the Darkest Hour There May Be Light Serpentine Gallery London 25 Nov 06-28 Jan
1,530 243,264 Gudrun Kampl: Johann Lukas von Hildebrand Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Vienna 28 Mar-2 Sep
1,529 164,881 New Work: Phil Collins SFMOMA San Francisco 16 Sep 06-21 Jan
1,529 94,552 The Sculpture of Ruth Asawa: Contours in the Air De Young Museum San Francisco 18 Nov 06-28 Jan
1,529 94,552 California Impressions De Young Museum San Francisco 18 Nov 06-28 Jan
1,528 173,981 Alexander Girard: Vibrant Modern SFMOMA San Francisco 14 Oct 06-25 Feb
1,522 72,720 Mauri Ora: Maori Treasures Tokyo National Museum Tokyo 23 Jan-18 Mar
1,500 123,002 Gilbert & George Tate Modern London 15 Feb-7 May
1,492 96,100 The Alphabet of Images Pergamonmuseum Berlin 27 Jun-9 Sep
1,487 120,000 Daniel Richter Hamburger Kunsthalle Hamburg 4 May-5 Aug
1,482 114,111 Citizens and Kings Royal Academy London 3 Feb-20 Apr
1,475 83,675 Ron Mueck National Gallery of Canada Ottawa 2 Mar-6 May
1,473 260,093 From Casper David Friedrich to Gerhard Richter Getty Museum Los Angeles 5 Oct 06-29 Apr
1,466 134,667 Douglas Gordon MART Rovereto 7 Oct 06-21 Jan
1,466 127,525 Jeff Wall Art Institute of Chicago Chicago 29 Jun-23 Sep
1,454 114,840 The Temptations of Flora: Jan van Huysum Museum of Fine Arts Houston Houston 18 Feb-20 May
1,450 129,094 Renoir Landscapes, 1865-83 National Gallery London 21 Feb-20 May
1,450 89,693 Record Times Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 11 Aug-21 Oct
1,434 109,600 Who Are You? Ahmet Polat Istanbul Modern Istanbul 30 May-26 Aug
1,434 109,600 Andreas Gursky Istanbul Modern Istanbul 30 May-26 Aug
1,434 109,600 ... And Dreams are Dreams: Sixth Video Program Istanbul Modern Istanbul 30 May-26 Aug
1,415 125,842 Russia’s Soul: Icons, Paintings and Drawings Kunsthalle der Bundesrepublik Bonn 16 May-26 Aug
1,405 127,825 Fritz Wotruba: the Early Works, 1928-49 Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Vienna 24 Apr-23 Jul
1,397 163,000 And Then the Incas Arrived... Museum of Fine Arts Budapest Budapest 18 May-30 Sep
1,397 157,909 Valentino in Rome: 45 Years of Style Museo dell’Ara Pacis Rome 8 Jul-28 Oct
1,391 139,105 Australian Impressionism Ian Potter Centre Melbourne 31 Mar-8 Jul
1,381 138,092 Egyptian Antiquities from the Louvre Art Gallery of Western Australia Perth 21 Jul-28 Oct
1,375 91,936 The Gates of Paradise High Museum of Art Atlanta 28 Apr-15 Jul
1,372 76,651 Kylie: the Exhibition Manchester Art Gallery Manchester 30 Jun-2 Sep
1,372 74,262 Darío Villalba Reina Sofia Madrid 13 Mar-14 May
1,364 97,229 French Manuscript Illustration of the Middle Ages Getty Museum Los Angeles 23 Jan-15 Apr
1,363 110,000 Helene Schjerfbeck Hamburger Kunsthalle Hamburg 2 Feb-6 May
1,360 160,426 Picasso: la Joie de Vivre, 1945-48 Palazzo Grassi Venice 11 Nov 06-11 Mar
1,357 257,744 Open Exhibition: the Collection Museu Colecção Berardo Lisbon 25 Jun-31 Dec
1,352 95,229 Alex Katz: New York Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 28 Feb-20 May
1,347 130,322 Mantegna and the Art of Verona, 1450-1500 Palazzo della Gran Guardia Verona 16 Sep 06-28 Jan
1,341 135,480 Ron Mueck Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Fort Worth 24 Jun-21 Oct
1,340 117,000 Sea Pieces: from Max Beckmann to Gerhard Richter Hamburger Kunsthalle Hamburg 8 Jun-19 Sep
1,339 102,354 Matthew Barney and Joseph Beuys Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice 6 Jun-2 Sep
1,337 75,826 Closed Circuit Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 23 Feb-29 Apr
1,331 123,755 Education Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Art Queensland Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane 23 Jun-23 Sep
1,330 102,770 On Alexander’s Traces Towards Asia Museo Civico d’Arte Antica Turin 27 Feb-27 May
1,329 188,104 Old Masters from Emilia Musei Capitolini Rome 14 Sep 06-25 Feb
1,321 121,316 Upon an Ether Sea Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 26 May-9 Sep
1,315 65,752 Dutch Winter Scenes National Gallery London 10 Nov 06-2 Jan
1,313 100,149 Radiant Darkness: the Art of Nocturnal Light Getty Museum Los Angeles 24 Apr-22 Jul
1,306 46,073 Shahzia Sikander Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 28 Mar-7 May
1,300 581,234 Déco Lalique Royal Ontario Museum Toronto 26 Dec 2005-18 Mar
1,295 55,680 Street Art, Sweet Art Padiglione Arte Contemporanea Milan 7 Mar-25 Apr
1,289 83786 Bank of Scotland TotalArt: Andy Warhol National Gallery Edinburgh 4 Aug-7 Oct
1,289 125,000 New Realism Grand Palais Paris 28 Mar-2 Jul
1,286 46,004 Giorgio Armani Triennale Milan 20 Feb-1 Apr
1,283 93,629 Howard Arkley Queensland Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane 6 Jul-16 Sep
1,278 102,075 Richard Pousette-Dart Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice 17 Feb-20 May
1,261 123,576 Power and Taboo British Museum London 28 Sep 06-7 Jan
1,258 128,283 Between Worlds National Portrait Gallery London 8 Mar-17 Jun
1,257 59,432 De Qui s’Agit-il?: Henri Cartier-Bresson National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo 19 Jun-12 Aug
1,253 93,600 Greek Icons Pergamonmuseum Berlin 16 Mar-10 Jun
1,250 70,890 Lessons in Learning Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 10 Feb-16 Apr
1,239 116,464 Passion for Drawing: from Poussin to Cézanne CosmoCaxia Barcelona Barcelona 7 Sep-9 Dec
1,236 95,493 Sigmar Polke: Photographs, 1968-72 Getty Museum Los Angeles 20 Feb-20 May
1,230 95,067 Richard Estes Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Madrid 19 Jun-16 Sep
1,229 96,535 Picasso and the Circus Museu Picasso Barcelona 16 Nov 06-18 Feb
1,225 60,034 Karen Kilimnik Serpentine Gallery London 20 Feb-9 Apr
1,224 92,528 All Hawaii Entrees/Lunar Reggae Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 30 Nov 06-25 Feb
1,222 69,630 The Art of Islam Art Gallery New South Wales Sydney 1 Jul-26 Aug
1,219 96,132 Stan Strembicki: Lost Library Portfolio Joslyn Art Museum Omaha 16 Jun-16 Sep
1,217 104,658 The Unknown Monet: Pastels and Drawings Royal Academy London 17 Mar-10 Jun
1,210 94,182 Harry Callahan: Eleanor High Museum of Art Atlanta 8 Sep-9 Dec
1,205 97,590 Work, Rest and Play National Gallery London 26 Jul-14 Oct
1,199 94,745 Red Hot: Asian Art Today Museum of Fine Arts Houston Houston 22 Jul-21 Oct
1,199 79,642 Inside Installation, Part 2 Stichting Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo 21 Mar-3 Jun
1,199 79,642 Odilon Redon: Works on Paper Stichting Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo 21 Mar-3 Jun
1,199 69,895 The Gospels in Medieval Manuscript Illustration Getty Museum Los Angeles 31 Oct 06-7 Jan
1,198 91,559 Alexander Calder and Joan Miró Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 4 Apr-1 Jul
1,191 97,113 Longing for the Garden Stichting Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo 21 Jun-23 Sep
1,187 129,398 Rococo Exotic Frick Collection New York 6 May-9 Sep
1,181 108,349 Lee Miller: Picasso in Private Museu Picasso Barcelona 1 Jun-16 Sep
1,179 80,000 Hague Court Fashion Gemeentemuseum Helmond 15 Sep-2 Dec
1,173 76,267 Contemporary Sculpture from the Collection Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane 28 Jul-30 Sep
1,168 160,039 Tamara de Lempicka Palazzo Reale Milan 5 Oct 06-18 Feb
1,162 89,130 Skin+Bones Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 19 Nov 06-5 Mar
1,159 71,835 Peter Fischli & David Weiss: a Retrospective Tate Modern London 11 Nov 06-14 Jan
1,159 156,471 Mantegna and Padua, 1445-60 Musei Eremitani Padua 16 Sep 06-28 Jan
1,156 122,018 Coming Together: New Acquisitions National Gallery Oslo 2 Sep 06-2 Jan
1,154 93,164 Rodin Kunsthaus Zürich Zürich 9 Feb-13 May
1,149 104,214 The Painter’s Garden: Design, Inspiration, Delight Städel Museum Frankfurt 24 Nov 06-11 Mar
1,144 118,778 Masterpieces of French Jewellery Legion of Honor San Francisco 10 Feb-10 Jun
1,144 195,574 Amber, Antique Transparency Museo Archeoligico Nazionale Naples 24 Mar-10 Sep
1,135 92,605 A Mirror of Nature: Nordic Landscape Painting National Gallery Oslo 15 Feb-20 May
1,134 122,500 Auguste Rodin Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung Munich 22 Sep 06-7 Jan
1,133 120,050 Katharina Grosse Queensland Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane 15 Jul-28 Oct
1,126 98,000 Nolde to Beckmann and Jorn to Richter Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung Munich 19 Jan-15 Apr
1,125 73,457 Music for the Masses: Illuminated Choir Books Getty Museum Los Angeles 14 Aug-28 Oct
1,121 26,100 Here/Not Here Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 3 Jul-29 Jul
1,120 129,900 Surreal Things: Surrealism and Design Victoria and Albert Museum London 29 Mar-22 Jul
1,108 23,905 Star Portrait Stichting Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo 30 Aug-23 Sep
1,107 141,837 Set in Stone: the Face in Medieval Sculpture Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 26 Sep 06-19 Feb
1,107 102,951 Dürer and Italy Scuderie del Quirinale Rome 10 Mar-10 Jun
1,105 125,975 Piero della Francesca and the Italian Courts Museo di Arte Medievale e Moderna Arezza 31 Mar-22 Jul
1,104 110,406 Desiderio da Settignano Museo Nazionale del Bargello Florence 22 Feb-3 Jun
1,101 65,263 Europe-Russia-Europe Tretyakov Gallery Moscow 22 May-29 Jul
1,098 76,844 Italian Arts and Design: the 20th Century Royal Ontario Museum Toronto 28 Oct 06-7 Jan
1,098 126,285 Sculpture of Indian Temples: the Art of Devotion CaxiaForum Barcelona Barcelona 27 Jul-18 Nov
1,096 122,472 Léon Spilliaert Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts Brussels 22 Sep 06-4 Feb
1,090 46,863 David La Chapelle Palazzo Reale Milan 25 Sep-6 Nov
1,082 109,150 Sustainable Architecture Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 9 Sep 06-7 Jan
1,079 73,248 Hiroshi Sugimoto De Young Museum San Francisco 7 Jul-23 Sep
1,077 123,901 The Macchiaioli Palazzo Bricherasio Turin 16 Feb-10 Jun
1,077 95,860 William Hogarth CosmoCaixa Barcelona Barcelona 30 May-26 Aug
1,077 108,046 Public Space, Private Faces Getty Museum Los Angeles 10 Oct 06-4 Feb
1,069 98,314 Jasper Johns: an Allegory of Painting, 1955-1965 National Gallery of Art Washington 28 Jan-29 Apr
1,061 109,900 Five Billion Years Palais de Tokyo Paris 14 Sep 06-14 Jan
1,057 54,670 Andrea Zittel: Critical Space Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 4 Mar-14 May
1,055 122,400 Leonardo Da Vinci Victoria and Albert Museum London 14 Sep 06-7 Jan
1,055 102,044 WACK! Art and The Feminist Revolution Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 4 Mar-16 Jul
1,050 107,000 Annie Leibovitz: a Photographer’s Life, 1990–2005 High Museum of Art Atlanta 12 May-9 Sep
1,050 107,000 Cecilia Beaux: American Figure Painter High Museum of Art Atlanta 12 May-9 Sep
1,048 135,804 Hearth: Concepts of Home Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin 2 Nov 06-1 Apr
1,046 72,779 e-art: New Technologies and Contemporary Art Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Montreal 20 Sep-9 Dec
1,046 71,000 Robert Rauschenberg Moderna Museet Stockholm 17 Feb-6 May
1,045 69,692 From Close To Home: Recent Acquisitions of LA Art Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 1 Apr-2 Jul
1,044 86,077 Peter Pongratz Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Vienna 1 Nov 06-4 Feb
1,043 104,735 Enlightened Bourgeoisie Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Vienna 25 Oct 06-18 Feb
1,043 120,000 Erwin Wurm MUMOK Vienna 20 Oct 06-11 Feb
1,039 42,891 Colección Unicaja de Arte Contemporáneo: Oasis Centro de Arte Contemporanea Malaga 27 Mar-13 May
1,038 75,900 The Art of Richard Tuttle Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 20 Apr-30 Jul
1,032 81,565 Constructing a Poetic Universe Museum of Fine Arts Houston Houston 11 Mar-10 Jun
1,031 103,110 Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award Queensland Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane 4 Aug-11 Nov
1,029 105,000 Landscape of Longing: Avraham Ofek Israel Museum Jerusalem 15 Mar-24 Jun
1,028 69,287 Masterpieces of European Painting Frick Collection New York 8 Nov 06-28 Jan
1,026 78,405 Flowers for the Emperor Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Vienna 15 Nov 06-11 Feb
1,026 40,000 The Hermitage of Czar Nicholas I Palazzo San’t Elia Palermo 19 Apr-27 May
1,025 85,208 Poetics of the Handmade Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 20 Apr-13 Aug
1,017 72,500 Edward Steichen Jeu de Paume Paris 9 Oct-30 Dec
1,015 134,000 Biedermeier: the Invention of Simplicity Albertina Vienna 2 Feb-13 Jun
1,013 60,056 Skin+Bones National Art Center Tokyo Tokyo 6 Jun-13 Aug
1,012 64,338 Escultura Social Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 21 Jun-2 Sep
1,009 222,000 Prophets and Visionaries: Reuven Rubin Israel Museum Jerusalem 17 Nov 06-24 Jun
1,006 79,368 MOCA Focus: Alexandra Grant Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 26 Apr-13 Aug
1,006 67,696 Modern Art from the Permanent Collection Stichting Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo 6 Mar-20 May
1,006 170,000 Surrealism and Beyond the Israel Museum Israel Museum Jerusalem 28 Feb-15 Aug
1,003 134,197 MCA Exposed Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 24 Feb-29 Jul
1,003 87,000 Treasure Gallery of the State Hermitage Museum Moscow Kremlin Museums Moscow 7 Nov 06-15 Feb
1,000 287,987 Dino Jaws Natural History Museum London 29 Jun 06-15 Apr
1,000 80,000 Turkey: 7000 Years of History Palazzo del Quirinale Rome 11 Jan-31 Mar
998 55,735 Markus Vallazza MART Rovereto 20 Jan-25 Mar
998 78,879 Symbols of Power Saint Louis Art Museum St. Louis 17 Jun-16 Sep
994 74,300 Pierre et Gilles Jeu de Paume Paris 29 Jun-23 Sep
990 49,341 Happy Fashion Photography Stichting Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo 2 Jun-29 Jul
989 56,951 Princes, Palaces, and Passion Asian Art Museum San Francisco 2 Feb-9 Apr
985 93,533 Garden Pleasure: the Garden in Art Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Vienna 22 Mar-24 Jun
984 121,994 Fashion Show: Paris Collections 06 Museum of Fine Arts Boston 12 Nov 06-18 Mar
981 127,083 Mitomacchina MART Rovereto 2 Dec 06-1 May
977 70,483 Masters of American Drawings and Watercolours Carnegie Museum of Art Pittsburgh 16 Jul-7 Oct
976 163,000 Engagement: Israeli Photography Now Israel Museum Jerusalem 9 Jan-24 Jun
971 167,000 Dream Makers: Design Meets Technology Israel Museum Jerusalem 4 Jan-24 Jun
969 213,350 Casting Nature: Germaine’s Machine D’Argent Getty Museum Los Angeles 11 Jul 06-25 Mar
965 62,732 Court Splendours Palazzo della Pilotta Parma 31 Mar-3 Jun
964 88,686 Constable’s Great Landscapes National Gallery of Art Washington 1 Oct 06-2 Jan
956 57,370 Ansel Adams Detroit Institute of Arts Detroit 4 Mar-27 May
955 81,968 Tezuka: the Marvel of Manga Asian Art Museum San Francisco 2 Jun-9 Sep
948 96,856 Iceberg Tropical: Luis Gordillo, 1959-2007 Reina Sofia Madrid 19 Jun-15 Oct
947 30,968 Amador: Temple of Heaven Centro de Arte Contemporanea Malaga 16 Mar-22 Apr
946 77,197 M. News from the World Turned Upside Down Palais de Tokyo Paris 1 Feb-6 May
943 55,522 In the American West: Richard Avedon Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center Stanford 14 Feb-6 May
939 101,426 Kota Ezawa, Sarah Hobbs, Angela Strassheim Art Institute of Chicago Chicago 19 May-3 Sep
939 64,656 MOCA Focus: Matthew Monahan Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 26 Jul-29 Oct
939 64,656 Thomas Hirschhorn and Roxy Paine Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 26 Jul-29 Oct
934 101,727 Spared from the Storm Joslyn Art Museum Omaha 16 Jun-21 Oct
931 79,948 Yoshitoshi’s Strange Tales Asian Art Museum San Francisco 26 May-2 Sep
931 96,817 How We Are: Photographing Britain Tate Britain London 22 May-2 Sep
931 51,885 Polish Painting of the 21st Century Zacheta Narodowa Galeria Sztuki Warsaw 15 Dec 06-18 Feb
931 83,123 Annibale Carracci Chiostro del Bramante Rome 23 Jan-6 May
927 90,956 Sean Scully: Wall of Light Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 26 Sep 06-15 Jan
925 100,774 Antonietta Raphael: Sculpture Villa Torlonia Rome 29 Mar-15 Jul
919 78,877 Forum 58: Jonathan Borofsky Carnegie Museum of Art Pittsburgh 2 Dec 06-11 Mar
915 69,133 Catherine Sullivan: Triangle of Need Walker Art Center Minneapolis 23 Aug-18 Nov
914 106,080 Faith, Narrative and Desire British Museum London 9 Aug-2 Dec
912 100,354 Leon Kossoff National Gallery London 14 Mar-1 Jul
910 68,000 New Architecture: Berlin around 1800 Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin 16 Mar-10 Jun
907 81,793 Magazines and War, 1936-39 Reina Sofia Madrid 1
Total Museum attendance 2007
Total Museum City
8,300,000 Louvre Paris
5,509,425 Centre Pompidou Paris
5,191,840 Tate Modern London
4,837,878 British Museum London
4,547,353 Metropolitan Museum of Art New York
4,518,413 National Gallery of Art Washington
4,310,083 Vatican Museums Vatican City
4,159,485 National Gallery London
3,166,509 Musée d’Orsay Paris
2,652,924 Museo Nacional del Prado Madrid
2,650,551 National Palace Museum Taipei
2,435,300 Victoria and Albert Museum London
2,395,075 State Hermitage Museum St Petersburg
2,232,475 Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Glasgow
2,219,554 Museum of Modern Art New York
2,133,149 Field Museum Chicago
1,772,255 Tokyo National Museum Tokyo
1,674,607 CaxiaForum Barcelona Barcelona
1,650,000 Moscow Kremlin Museums Moscow
1,649,969 Museum of Fine Arts Houston
1,615,939 Uffizi Florence
1,607,767 National Portrait Gallery London
1,596,071 Tate Britain London
1,570,390 Reina Sofia Madrid
1,559,783 Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam
1,363,258 Art Institute of Chicago Chicago
1,362,188 Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
1,300,000 Art Gallery New South Wales Sydney
1,298,572 Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
1,265,000 Getty Museum Los Angeles
1,137,306 Museu Picasso Barcelona
1,137,217 De Young Museum San Francisco
1,134,567 Pergamonmuseum Berlin
1,047,012 Museum of Fine Arts Boston
1,002,963 Museo Guggenheim Bilbao
978,064 Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Madrid
955,748 Royal Academy London
937,770 National Gallery Edinburgh
899,535 National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne
898,576 Freer and Sackler Galleries Washington
889,434 Guggenheim Museum New York
825,990 Royal Ontario Museum Toronto
792,042 Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin
786,056 National Portrait Gallery Washington
779,995 Green Vault Dresden
764,000 Museum of Fine Arts Budapest Budapest
754,654 Ian Potter Centre Melbourne
740,407 National Gallery of Ireland Dublin
739,830 Hirshhorn Museum Washington
727,842 Walker Art Center Minneapolis
718,600 National Museum of Western Art Tokyo
706,174 SFMOMA San Francisco
691,997 Musée Rodin Paris
667,200 LACMA Los Angeles
652,599 Tate Liverpool Liverpool
594,678 Österreichische Galerie Belvedere Vienna
580,050 Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane
578,914 Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Montreal
569,512 Queensland Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane
550,000 Albertina Vienna
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Single work by Leonardo attracts over 10,000 a day'