Mauritshuis

The Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, located at a unique 17th-century palace in The Hague, has the highest number of masterpieces per square metre in the Netherlands. The museum houses a world-famous collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. This exceptional collection offers an amazing overview of Dutch and Flemish paintings from 1400 to 1800, with works by painters such as Vermeer, Rembrandt, Rubens, Jan Steen, Frans Hals, Van Dyck and Adriaen Coorte.

Collection
The collection consists of about 800 paintings, 50 miniatures, 20 sculptures and various drawings and prints. Some of these paintings were once in the possession of Prince Willem V of Orange-Nassau.
Of the thirty Vermeers known to exist the Mauritshuis has three in its collection: the world famous and widely reproduced Girl with a Pearl Earring, The View of Delft and Diana with the Nymphs. Among the 16 Rembrandts, there are outstanding works such as the Lesson in Anatomy of Dr. Tulp, David and Saul, The Two African men and three masterful self-portraits. There are also thirteen paintings by Jan Steen, which depict Dutch daily life in the 17th century, as well as the famous painting The Young Bull by Paulus Potter.

Girl with a Pearl Earring
One of the most iconic paintings in the world is in the Mauritshuis. The Girl with the Pearl Earring is by the Delft painter Johannes Vermeer. He painted it in the period 1665-1667. The painting is not a portrait but a tronie. The girl has never been identified.

Former palace 
The Mauritshuis dates back to the 17th century. Johan Maurits built this house in one of the most fashionable neighbourhoods of The Hague, right next to the Binnenhof, the place where the Dutch parliament meets. One of the features that makes this location so beautiful is the famous pond, the Hofvijver.
The Mauritshuis is one of the most beautiful examples of Dutch classicist architecture and was designed by Dutch architects Jacob van Campen and Pieter Post between 1633 and 1644. Van Campen also designed the Royal Palace and the Rembrandthuis in Amsterdam.

The renovated Mauritshuis 
Between 2012 and 2014 the museum has been restored and expanded to meet the requirements and expectations of the 21st-century visitor. The surface area of the museum doubled, creating more space for art, exhibitions, education and events. The development included the complete renovation of the seventeen-century historic palace which forms the Mauritshuis' main building taking it back to its architect, Jacob van Campen's original design. Another important feature was the creation of a new underground foyer and entrance area which connects the historic building to the newly created Royal Dutch Shell Wing directly opposite, which houses state-of-the art exhibition and education facilities.

Opening times Mauritshuis
The Mauritshuis is open every day. On Mondays the museum opens at 13:00 instead of 10:00, and on Thursdays it is open in the evening until 20:00. Tip for those who wish to avoid the busiest time: the Mauritshuis is relatively quiet in the afternoons after 15:00 and on Thursday evenings.

Directions to the Mauritshuis
The Mauritshuis is located in the centre of The Hague and can easily be reached both by public transport and car. From Den Haag Central railway station it takes 10 minutes to walk to het Plein. Alternatively, trams 16 or 17 are only one or two stops away. The Mauritshuis is easiest to reach by tram from Station Den Haag Hollands Spoor railway station: trams 1 and 9 (direction Scheveningen) and tram 16 stop within a few minutes' walk from the museum.
When travelling by car from the A4 (Amsterdam or Rotterdam) the A12 (Utrecht) or the N44 (Leiden), follow the signs for the City Centre and then the signs for het Mauritshuis. The most convenient place to park is in the Pleingarage next to the Mauritshuis or in Interparking Museumkwartier. You can also park at Malieveld and Den Haag Centraal New Babylon parking garages. Both garages are about a 10-minute walk away from the Mauritshuis.

Must-see 
The Mauritshuis museum in The Hague is a unique opportunity to see classic paintings from the Dutch Golden Age at one of Holland's most beautiful locations!