The building
The Mauritshuis, a unique 17th-century palace, is one of the most beautiful examples of Dutch classicist architecture.
The house was named after the man who had it built: Count Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen. Johan Maurits was the governor of the Dutch colony in Brazil from 1636 to 1644, during which period this house was built for him. He entrusted the project to the best architects of his day: Jacob van Campen and his assistant Pieter Post.

In 1820 the Dutch state bought the Mauritshuis for the purpose of housing the Royal Cabinet of Paintings. The new museum opened its doors in 1822. At first the building also housed the Royal Cabinet of Rarities, another collection that had been owned by the stadholders. Only in 1875 did the entire Mauritshuis become available for the collection of paintings.

The Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis houses a world-famous collection of art. The heart of the collection consists of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, including top-quality work by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Jan Steen and Frans Hals.

But this is not all. The collection also offers a splendid overview of Dutch and Flemish painting from 1400 to 1800. The masterpieces on display include work by Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, Rubens, Van Dyck, Cornelis Troost and Adriaen Coorte. Moreover, the museum owns several top-notch works by the 16th-century German artists Lucas Cranach the Elder and Hans Holbein the Younger.

This exceptional collection has been housed for nearly 200 years in the Mauritshuis, a 17th-century palace on the Hofvijver in The Hague.