Gallery Prince Willem V

The Gallery is temporarily closed because of renovations and restaurations to the building. The first museum in the Netherlands will again open its doors to the public in the middle of 2010.

The Prince Willem V Gallery was the first public museum in the Netherlands. In 1774 the stadholder Willem V, Prince of Orange-Nassau (1748-1806), brought the most important paintings of his collection together in this building on the Buitenhof and regularly opened his picture gallery to the public.

The largest part of Willem V’s collection was brought to the Mauritshuis in 1822, robbing the Gallery on the Buitenhof of its function. Now, however, it has been refurbished as a museum.

The Gallery gives a good impression of artistic tastes in the 18th century – the age of the periwig. Following the custom at that time, the walls of the long gallery are covered with paintings from floor to ceiling. Most of the paintings on display are by artists who were popular in the 18th century, such as Jan Steen, Philips Wouwerman, Abraham Bloemaert, Willem van de Velde and Gerard ter Borch. The paintings come from the Mauritshuis, supplemented by paintings on loan from other collections.