The Mauritshuis is a small art museum in a 17th-century palace on the Hofvijver pond, next to the Binnenhof at Plein 29 in Den Haag. Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring is the big draw, but the same rooms hold Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, Fabritius's Goldfinch and Paulus Potter's Bull. The house still has the scale of a home, so you stand close to the paintings and walk short distances between them. Most people need about two hours. The modern wing has a shop and a restaurant, and the museum app carries the audio guide.
A palace built for the governor of Dutch Brazil
The Mauritshuis was built in the 17th century for Count Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen, who had governed Dutch Brazil. It stands on the Hofvijver, beside the Binnenhof, and its classical symmetry and tall arched windows reflect in the water. It is a work of Dutch Classicism, and the architect Jacob van Campen is linked to it.
The house was not always a museum. From 1685 it functioned as a kind of hotel for guests of the States General. It opened to the public as a museum in 1822 and now holds the Royal Cabinet of Paintings. Much of the interior is original, which is why the galleries still feel like rooms in a home. The Dutch heritage register counts the building among the country's top sites.
The 2012 to 2014 expansion
A renovation and extension was finished in 2014. A new underground entrance hall links the old palace to a wing across the street. That wing holds exhibition space, a restaurant, a library, the shop and educational facilities. The museum roughly doubled in size, yet the historic rooms at street level were left largely as they were.
You enter by going down a staircase, or by taking the lift, from street level into a bright foyer with the ticket office and shop. The palace rooms are up above, reached by stairs, so expect to climb.
What hangs on the walls
The collection centres on Dutch Golden Age painting, with Flemish work as well, and runs from about 1400 to 1800. Vermeer is the headline. Girl with a Pearl Earring, painted around 1665, inspired Tracy Chevalier's novel and its 2003 film adaptation. His View of Delft is here too.
Rembrandt is represented by The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (1632) and a self-portrait. Carel Fabritius's The Goldfinch (1654) is the painting behind Donna Tartt's novel of the same name. Paulus Potter's The Bull, Jan Steen's As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young and still lifes by Jan de Heem are also part of the permanent collection, alongside works by Rubens, Frans Hals and Hans Holbein the Younger.
Three exhibitions rotate each year, so there is usually something beyond the permanent rooms.
How a visit works
Entry is by ticket with a QR code that is scanned at the door. Bags stay in the locker room. Wall texts are short, so the audio guide, available through the museum app, is the way to learn who is in each scene and what they are doing. Families can use a special audio guide and activity sheets. The museum also offers family tours.
The museum is compact. A quick walk-through takes about an hour, two hours is comfortable for most people, and a close look at every painting stretches to about two and a half. Your ticket also admits you to the Prince William V Gallery. There is a restaurant in the new wing, and the shop is by the entrance hall.
Escher in Het Paleis, the Gevangenpoort and the Binnenhof are all within a short walk, so the museum fits easily into a day in the old centre.
Preguntas frecuentes
Is there an entry fee at the Mauritshuis?
Yes. Museum card holders get in free, and students with ID may get a reduced ticket. Check the museum website for current prices.
How long do you need at the Mauritshuis?
Plan on about two hours. A quick browse takes around an hour, and looking closely at every painting can take up to two and a half.
Do you need to book tickets in advance?
Booking online is recommended and lets you skip the ticket line. It matters most at weekends.
Which paintings are the most famous?
Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp and Fabritius's The Goldfinch. Vermeer's View of Delft and Potter's The Bull are also on show.
Is the Mauritshuis suitable for children?
Yes. The museum offers family audio guides, activity sheets and family tours, and it is small enough that children are not worn out by long distances.
