Mauritshuis

Private tour in the Royal Collection of paintings, Mauritshuis, The Hague.

With your own art historian.

Go to private lectures for

Rembrandt AtHome

Super large Girl with the Pearl Earring, microscopic detail.

See Paulus Potter, the all-time favourite outsize Bull. Stolen by French soldiers, exhibited in the Louvre and subsequently stolen back by Dutch soldiers. And Roelant Savery: Flower piece. The museum is extremely rich in flower pieces. They usually are shown in springtime.

Join me to the Royal Collection of paintings, Mauritshuis contains masterworks by Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Frans Hals, Jacob van Ruisdael, Hans Holbein the Younger, and many others. It also shows the now famous „Goldfinch” by Fabritius. Housed in the private mansion of Johan Maurits, the ex-Governor of Brazil, you will find the outstanding Royal Collection of Paintings, held by the head of State, now King Willem Alexander. The quality level of the collection is incredibly high – to give you an idea: comparable to The Frick Collection in NYC which is also housed in a private mansion.

Mauritshuis. Stairwell looking up. With a very modern ceiling decoration.

In 1820, the building was bought by the Dutch state for the purpose of housing the Royal Cabinet of Paintings. William I started purchasing works of art. In 1822, it was opened to the public and housed the Royal Cabinet of Paintings and the Royal Cabinet of Rarities. At this time the famous Vermeer: ‘View of Delft’ entered the collection under the correct Vermeer label.

In 1875, the entire museum was redesigned to hold paintings only. After WW2, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Mauritshuis decided to swap works to and fro, strengthening the early Flemish collection in The Hague. All in all it is a jewel box full of the highest quality paintings: Vermeer, Hals, Rembrandt, Dou, and many many others.

Rubens, in his own hand. Without assistants.

A small Rubens, painted single-handedly. It allows us to study the ‘handwriting’ of this Antwerp artist. Vermeer: Girl with the Pearl Earring. We will stand close and learn many new things about what we see.

For many art aficionados this museum is the highlight of an entire journey. During the last renovation, the building across the street was connected to it by an underground passage, forming extra space for temporary exhibitions and a cafe.

Nearby, outside are the inner court of the Counts of Holland, now the Houses of Parliament. At 5 minutes walk is the new white XXL City Hall with its incredible Atrium, by architect Richard Meier. Always good for a gasp!

Take a walk or a taxi or tram ride in The Hague.

Tour by Drs Kees Kaldenbach, a professional Art History scholar with excellent teaching skills. Specialist in Fine art and Design, Architecture and History.

During restoration: Vermeer’s Girl with Pearl Earring.

Business card. The logo refers to Vermeer.

HOW TO GET THERE

The Hague is easy to reach with public transport, by train. From the train station it is a 10 minute walk. I hold a Dutch Railways rebate card, so for this train tour I can offer you a special rebate of 40% for three separate adult railway tickets. This makes it economical for you as clients. I can join you from your hotel or from the Amsterdam train station.

Various other options are open to you: a) You can hire a car and drive it yourself, and I will join you starting in Amsterdam and will advise you about the best route. b) We can hire a professional taxibus service at around E 70 per hour for about 4 to 5 hours. On top of that you will pay me as the specialist guide. This is the more expensive option.