The Jewel Box of The Hague: Exploring the Mauritshuis Museum
Nestled elegantly beside the Hofvijver pond in the heart of The Hague, the Mauritshuis Museum stands as one of the Netherlands’ most revered art museums. Often nicknamed “The Jewel Box” for its exquisite setting and intimate collection, it offers visitors a focused and unparalleled encounter with the masters of the Dutch Golden Age.
A Palace with a Past
The Mauritshuis Museum’s home is a magnificent 17th-century mansion, an architectural gem of Dutch Classicism designed by Jacob van Campen and Pieter Post. Commissioned by Count Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen—Governor-General of Dutch Brazil—the building was constructed between 1633 and 1644, and is literally “Maurits’s house.” After changing hands and purposes over the centuries, it was converted into the Royal Picture Gallery and opened as a public museum in 1822.
A major renovation and expansion between 2012 and 2014 connected the historic palace via an underground foyer to an adjacent building, doubling the available space for exhibitions, education, and visitor facilities while preserving the historic character of the original structure.
The Royal Picture Gallery
The Mauritshuis Museums collection, known officially as the Royal Picture Gallery, is a compact but astonishing treasury of approximately 800 paintings, primarily focusing on Dutch and Flemish masters from the 15th to the 17th century. The collection’s foundation was established in the 18th century by Stadtholder Prince William V, whose holdings were later donated to the Dutch state by his son, King William I.
Unlike the vast encyclopaedic museums, the Mauritshuis is celebrated for its concentration of world-class masterpieces within an intimate, domestic setting. Silk wall coverings, chandeliers, and creaking wooden floors create an atmosphere that transports visitors back to the era in which the works were created.
Iconic Masterpieces
The museum is home to several of the world’s most recognizable paintings, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Highlights of the permanent collection include:
- Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring: Arguably the museum’s most famous resident, this captivating tronie (a study of a face) is renowned for its subtle use of light and the girl’s enigmatic gaze.
- Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp: An early masterpiece that established the young artist’s reputation in Amsterdam, known for its dramatic composition and psychological depth. The museum holds several other significant Rembrandts, including one of his final Self-Portraits.
- Carel Fabritius’s The Goldfinch: A small but powerfully rendered painting that gained global recognition after its inclusion in Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
- Johannes Vermeer’s View of Delft: Considered one of the most famous cityscapes of the Dutch Golden Age, celebrated for its unique tranquility and masterful depiction of light.
- Paulus Potter’s The Bull: An unusually large and meticulously detailed painting of livestock, which became an icon of Dutch naturalistic painting.
- Jan Steen’s As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young: A vibrant example of the artist’s humorous and moralizing depictions of Dutch daily life.
A visit to the Mauritshuis offers a uniquely concentrated and personal immersion into the brilliance of the Dutch Golden Age, making it an essential destination for any art lover visiting the Netherlands.