💙 Feeling a little blue? Art is the best medicine! #BlueMonday

🌷Today is National Tulip Day! Especially for you, we've hand picked this gorgeous selection from our own collection. What are your favourite flowers? Still Life with a Bouquet in the Making, 1674 A Single Tulip in a Vase, c. 1625 Flowers in a Glass Flask, 1612 Flowers in a Wan-Li Vase, c. 1610-1615

And... check! ✅😄 The restoration of The Bull by Paulus Potter (the biggest work in the Maurithuis!) is officially completed. We're so happy with the end result and all the things we learned along the way about the way Potter worked. Thanks to all of you for following along. 🩷

Nobody’s perfect! In this painting Gerard Houckgeest used 'diagonal perspective' to get this wide view. And yes, even masters make mistakes. Check the tiles on the right: those are a little crooked. Gerard Houckgeest, Ambulatory of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft with the Tomb of William the Silent, 1651

Always look at the bigger picture... There might be a suprise! 🐂👀 Powered by Lely

Have you ever spotted our ceiling painting 'Icarus Atlanticus: Allegory of the Working Man'? 👀 📷 Anne Reitsma

👧👀 "It's almost like she's waiting for an answer..." - Elena What's the secret of the 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'? Why do you keep looking at her longer than any other painting in our museum? We investigated this with the help of brain scientists. Read more at mauritshuis.nl/meisje.

🌟A group of people is going from house to house as they celebrate Epiphany. The revellers, who are dressed as the Three Magi of the Christmas story, sing traditional songs and carry a lantern. Cornelis Troost, Singing Round the Star on Twelfth Night, c. 1740

A brand new year, and so much to look forward to! 😄💥 👉 BIRDS – Curated by The Goldfinch & Simon Schama (12 February – 7 June) 👉 Pentimenti – Photographs by @stephanvanfleteren (23 April – 23 August) 👉 @museothyssen ❤️ Mauritshuis: Masters from Madrid (15 October 2026 – 17 January 2027)

🦅 Not your average pet… Meet Robert Cheseman, chief falconer to Henry VIII. No cat or dog for him, just casually posing with his falcon.  Check the gaze, the satin sleeves, and the tiny brass bell: proof of Hans Holbein's skill! Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Robert Cheseman, 1533

👀 Amsterdam, then & now! Oudezijds Voorburgwal with the Old Church as the star of the show. Every building captured with incredible precision. Fun fact: he also invented the fire engine and the streetlight!  Jan van der Heyden, View of Oudezijds Voorburgwal with the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, c. 1670

What painting is this...? 🔍 We are still restoring this masterpiece by Paulus Potter, the biggest painting in the Mauritshuis. You can watch the restoration live at the museum until the end of 2025.  Powered by @lelygroup

✨ Front-row seats to a miracle! In The Adoration of the Shepherds, Jordaens brings us right up close: Mary gently shows the sleeping baby Jesus to the shepherds, her face glowing in the soft light. You can almost feel the warmth. Jacob Jordaens, The Adoration of the Shepherds, c. 1617

🎄🌟☃️ Happy Holidays everyone!

No clue what to wear during the holidays? How about… velvet, pearls & an enormous collar? 🤩

Pretty boy alert 👀 Our curator Ariane shows you the portrait of Thomas William Coke at Holkham Hall. 🇬🇧 It was painted in Rome by Pompeo Batoni, the favourite painter of many Grand Tourists at the time. This souvenir must have definitely impressed Coke’s family and friends back home.

Every winter the Dutch hope for freezing temps so we can skate again! On this painting by Hendrick Avercamp people are playing 'kolf' – basically 17th-century ice hockey. On the left some have fallen through the ice and in the middle a woman takes a tumble, flashing more than she planned. 😅

It's the Christmas Holidays and Maurits Muis is excited to see you! 🎄🐭  Get creative with one of our fun family activities. Make your own personal travel souvenir, paint a Christmas dinner, or meet Maurits Mouse and discover the museum with him!  Find the complete program at mauritshuis.nl/kerst.

The days are getting shorter and shorter, and all we want to do is cozy up, sip some tea and nap. 😴 Abraham van Dijck, Old Man, Asleep, 1656

Wait for it... 🪰👀 With just a few small black spots, Paulus Potter created delicate, lifelike flies. We are still restoring this masterpiece, the biggest painting in the Mauritshuis. You can watch the restoration live at the museum until the end of 2025. Powered by Lely.

Want to spend Boxing Day together, doing something fun and creative?🎄 Have a look at our beautiful banquet paintings and paint a festive meal together. Or make your Family Year Overview with the 12 best moments of 2025! See mauritshuis.nl/kerst for all fun family activities during the holidays.

Jan Steen loved chaos, but there’s meaning in the madness. 🩷 Lieve reveals a hidden detail... Jan Steen, The Life of Man, c. 1665

Did you see this ribbit-y detail in The bull by Paulus Potter? 🐸👀 We are still busy with the restoration of this world-famous painting. You can witness the entire process live at the Mauritshuis until the end of 2025. Powered by Lely.

🧳🇮🇹  This is the last call to enter our giveaway! Register at the end of your visit to the exhibition 'Grand Tour - Destination Italy' at @mauritshuis_museum, on view til Januari 4 2026. This will give you a chance to win a week-long trip to Rome for two.  Brought to you by our partner @nn_nederland

💃Party like it’s 1598 Welcome to the St Sebastian's Fair: overflowing mugs of beer, market stalls around the church, dancing villagers and even some sneaky flirting at the window... Jacob Savery the Elder (and/or studio), Fair on St Sebastian's Day, c. 1598

The festive season is here! 🎄✨ Spot the beautiful Christmas tree at the entrance and enjoy the masterpieces inside the Mauritshuis. Afterwards, wander over to The Hague Royal Christmas Fair, open every evening until 23 December and just around the corner.

A still life with snacks - and a sneaky self-portrait. 😲 Lieve shows you where to look. Clara Peeters, Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels, c. 1615

Pretty but a bit spooky… 🪲 At first this bouquet looks like pure flower power, but look closer: thorns in the middle, creepy crawlies (yes, even a rhinocerous beetle), and heavy shadows give it a darker vibe. Roelant Savery, Vase of Flowers in a Stone Niche, 1615

What if... Paulus Potter's The Bull was part of a weather forecast? 🐂⛈️ Rob Sluijter from @knmi.nl (the Dutch Meteorological Institute) takes us back to the early summer of 1647. What can we learn from the clouds behind the bull, and what are the weather predictions in Potter’s painting?

🤩👧 "You just keep looking" - Karlijn  What happens in your brain when you look at the Girl with a Pearl Earring? We investigated this with the help of brain scientists. The results are pretty amazing. Check out www.mauritshuis.nl/meisje.

Long before the pearl, Vermeer painted big biblical & mythological scenes. Here’s Diana, goddess of the hunt & the night, hanging out with her nymphs. Hound at her feet, moon on her forehead... yes, that dreamy Vermeer vibe is already there.  Johannes Vermeer, Diana and her Nymphs, c. 1653-1654

Meet... the Frans Hals siblings! Did you know we have become co-parents? 😄  Girl Singing and Boy Playing the Violin (c. 1628) by Frans Hals or now on view at the Mauritshuis.

🧳🇮🇹 What do you do when a volcano erupts?  A. You get the hell out of there. B. You come closer to watch 😅 Discover this moment up close in 'The Grand Tour – Destination Italy', on view until January 4.

🖼️ Talk about flexing your art collection! Not a real gallery, but a kunstkamer = basically a 17th-century art mood board. Left: Apelles paints Alexander the Great’s lover. Alexander loved it and said: “You keep Campaspe, I’ll keep the painting.” Willem van Haecht, Apelles Painting Campaspe

What the ***...?! 😲🌿 What would you do with this branch? On the one hand, it's part of the historical story of The Bull. On the other hand, it's not how Paulus Potter intended the painting to look. So... keep or toss? 🤔 Follow along for more about the live restoration of the Bull by Paulus Potter.

Up close with The Bull by Paulus Potter 🐂👀 Isn't it fascinating to see the hand of the master at work? We are still restoring this amazing piece of work. You can witness the entire process live at the Mauritshuis until the end of 2025.

🐌 Slow Sundays are the best days! This snail escaped from 'Vase of Flowers' (c. 1670) by Jan Davidsz de Heem!

2/2 What’s going on in this strange little doctor’s visit? Lieve reveals the hidden story behind this painting. 👀 Godefridus Schalcken, The Doctor's Examination, c. 1690

Love is in the air! Or not?  A young woman writes a song, a man peeks over her shoulder. The lute symbolizes harmony in love.  But above the fireplace you see a stormy sea. A reminder that love isn’t always smooth sailing? Gabriel Metsu, A Young Woman Composing a Piece of Music, c. 1664

Once you start looking at Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, you simply can't take your eyes off her. 🎶👧 We investigated this with the help of brain scientists. Curious about how we conducted this research and what the results are? Go to https://bit.ly/ResearchGirl

🇬🇧 There → Here 🇳🇱 Normally hanging at Burghley House, this portrait shows Brownlow Cecil, 9th Earl of Exeter. It was painted by Angelica Kauffman when she was just 22, but already really famous. Check it out at our exhibition ‘The Grand Tour - Destination Italy’.

👀The Mauritshuis is watching you! Do you recognise these paintings? Okay, we'll tell you 😇 Here are the answers: - Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665 - Carel Fabritius, The Goldfinch, 1654  - Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, 1632 - Paulus Potter, The Bull, 1647

🧳🇮🇹 What insaaaane patience looks like... 🤯 This small panel by Cesare Aguatti captures the Temple of Vesta in Rome. If you look close, you’ll see it’s made of microscopic mosaic tiles, carefully arranged to form a Roman ruin. Check it out at our exhibition ‘The Grand Tour - Destination Italy’.

✨ The Mauritshuis doesn’t just show art, it has been shining on paintings for ages too. Gerrit Adriaensz Berckheyde, A Hunting Party near the Hofvijver in The Hague, Seen from the Buitenhof c. 1685-1690

🤎🧡 Who doesn’t love the beautiful colours of autumn! This work is part of a series on the seasons. Originally made to hang above the doors of a grand house in Amsterdam. The paintings were separated, but are now reunited at the Mauritshuis.  Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem, Allegory of Autumn

1/2 What’s with the bird and that warning finger? Lieve spills the tea. ☕️ Godefridus Schalcken, A Useless Moral Lesson, c. 1690

🦪 Fancy an oyster?  Jan Steen knew exactly what he was doing. In the 17th century oysters were seen as the ultimate aphrodisiac… and just look at her, she’s clearly offering more than just a snack! Jan Steen, Girl Eating Oysters, c. 1658-1660

🇬🇧 There → Here 🇳🇱  Pompeo Batoni’s elegant portrait of Thomas William Coke has travelled all the way from @holkhamestate to the Mauritshuis. An impressive souvenir of his Grand Tour! Now on view at the exhibition 'The Grand Tour – Destination Italy'. 👀 Tickets via link in bio.

Those big, shiny eyes 👀 … but what do they mean? Is she carefree? Curious? A little sad? Or totally in love? ❤️ Vermeer left the corners of her eyes blurry, so we have to fill in the blanks. That’s why everyone sees her differently. Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665

What’s going on in this strange little doctor’s visit? Lieve reveals the hidden story behind this painting. 👀 Godefridus Schalcken, The Doctor's Examination, c. 1690