Walk from the Mauritshuis along the Hofvijver and you’ll reach the Prince Willem V Gallery in just ten minutes. It was built in the 18th century to house the impressive painting collection of Prince William V, which later became the foundation of the Mauritshuis collection. What makes this especially remarkable is that he was the first high-ranking figure to open his collection to the general public.
At the time, it was customary to hang paintings densely on the walls, from floor to ceiling. The Gallery is still arranged much the same way today. Around 150 Old Masters from the Mauritshuis collection (including works by Jan Steen, Peter Paul Rubens, and Paulus Potter) hang side by side. Visit the Gallery and step back in time!
Visit both the Mauritshuis and the Prince Willem V Gallery with a combined ticket for just €24. A single ticket for the gallery costs €8.50 and can only be purchased at the Gevangenpoort ticket desk (not online).
The first museum in the Netherlands
Two museums claim the title of ‘oldest museum in the Netherlands’. The first to open was the Prince William V Gallery, in 1774. But the Teylers Museum in Haarlem, which opened in 1784, also claims to be the oldest, arguing that it has been used continuously as a museum ever since. Though the very first Dutch museum is undoubtedly the Prince William V Gallery.
The Prince William V Gallery is a place full of stories: about a passion for collecting, looted art, and a remarkable woman. Read the story, take a quiz, and discover many more fascinating perspectives on the Gallery, shared by a collector, an art history content creator, and others.
William V: stadtholder and art lover
William V was born in 1748, son of stadtholder William IV and Anna of Hanover. The young William lost both his parents before he was ten years old. A friend of the family, Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, took on the role of guardian. When William was 19 he married the 16-year-old Wilhelmina of Prussia. They had five children. Their oldest son William would later succeed his father. Yet Prince William V was the last stadtholder of the Dutch Republic; his son succeeded him not as stadtholder, but as King William I, the first king of the Netherlands from the House of Orange-Nassau.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, wealthy people collected art to display their status. Wars and overseas trade brought exotic objects to Europe, from Chinese porcelain to stuffed animals. William V’s collection was exceptional, he even owned the skeleton of a giraffe from South Africa. In 1766, he housed his paintings at the Buitenhof in The Hague, where the collection grew substantially. His mother also influenced him: in 1751, she spent 70 guilders on insects, more than seven times the annual salary of an average VOC sailor.
And who was his wife, Wilhelmina of Prussia?
Wilhelmina of Prussia was just a teenager when she married Prince William V, the most powerful man in the country. She went down in history as a decisive woman, a natural leader, in contrast to her husband. William V was known as an indecisive ruler who refused to compromise with the growing group of dissatisfied citizens: the Patriots.
Wilhelmina stepped in where her hesitant husband would not, defending his power against the Patriots and persuading her uncle, the King of Prussia, to intervene when necessary. Although the family later had to flee from the French, she laid the foundation for the restoration of the House of Orange’s power: her son became King William I, ancestor of the current king. Want to learn more about her?
