A museum is a paradise for a work of art. There remains nothing more to be desired in the physical respect. In a museum the temperature and humidity are constant and travelling is done in a professional, air-cushioned manner. By day the public keeps a suitable distance, while as a protection against all too ambitious collectors, the stores are burglar-proof 24 hours a day.

A museum is also a hell for a work of art. You are collected with love and passion, but once you are in, there prove to be 122,999 other beloved works of art. And even if you are the most beloved of all, this involves yet other drawbacks. Before you know it, you are imprioned in a chest on the way to a blockbuster in Berlin or Amsterdam, or you have to endure a second life on a place-mat in a pancake restaurant.