Mauritshuis in The Hague

The Mauritshuis feels more like a home than a large museum. You walk through the rooms of a 17th century city palace, and the paintings hang close by. Yet here you stand face to face with works the whole world knows. Girl with a Pearl Earring looks at you over her shoulder. A few rooms further, a small goldfinch sits chained to its feeding box. Because the museum is compact, you see a lot without getting tired. Below you read what not to miss and how to plan your visit to the Mauritshuis.

What you see at the Mauritshuis

The collection of the Mauritshuis consists mainly of Dutch and Flemish paintings from the 17th century. Two works by Johannes Vermeer stand out: Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft, a cityscape full of light and clouds. Carel Fabritius painted The Goldfinch in 1654, a small panel you only really see when you stand close. Rembrandt is represented by The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp and a self-portrait, among others. Because the rooms are small, you often stand in front of a masterpiece with only a handful of people. That makes a visit to the Mauritshuis calmer than you might expect.

Beyond the famous names

The Bull by Paulus Potter, painted in 1647, is life size. Jan Steen is present with Girl Eating Oysters and As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young, both full of bustle and humour. Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder painted The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man together, a crowded scene full of animals. The Mauritshuis also runs the Prince William V Gallery, which opened in 1774 as a public art gallery. You find it at Buitenhof 33, on the other side of the Binnenhof and a five minute walk away. It shares its entrance with the Gevangenpoort.

The house of Johan Maurits

Johan Maurits van Nassau had it built between 1636 and 1641, in the years he was governor of Dutch Brazil, to a design by Jacob van Campen and Pieter Post. In 1704 a fire destroyed most of the interior, after which it was restored. Since 1822 the Mauritshuis has been a museum for the Royal Cabinet of Paintings. Between 2012 and 2014 it was extended to a design by Hans van Heeswijk. An underground corridor beneath the Korte Vijverberg now links the old house to the former Sociëteit De Witte building across the street.

Planning your visit to the Mauritshuis

The Mauritshuis is a ten minute walk from The Hague Central Station, so you do not need a car. The museum recommends buying your ticket and time slot online, which guarantees entry on busy days. Visitors under 19 get in free, and with the Museumkaart, the Dutch annual museum pass, you visit both the Mauritshuis and the Prince William V Gallery for free. Children get looking and search assignments that help them study the paintings. For Mondrian and modern art, continue to Kunstmuseum Den Haag, or see Vermeer's The Milkmaid at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Frequently asked questions about the Mauritshuis

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