In addition to the Rijksmuseum, we also sponsor the Mauritshuis in The Hague, where the collection consists of masterpieces
by Dutch and Flemish Masters from the 16th and 17th centuries. The basis is formed by the Royal Collection.
It was again a great pleasure to be invited to the annual Friends Dinner. The catering was in the hands of De Witte society. Dinner was served to the 200 guests by an extremely friendly and professional brigade.
My table companion was museum director Martine Gosselink. She said that the museum has to earn millions every year on its own. Things are going in the right direction, but the fact that you can rent the museum for a reception or stylish dinner is not yet widely known.
It is an unprecedented experience to dine in such a room. On the walls hang Rembrandts (11), works by Paulus Potter (The Bull) and masterpieces by Johannes Vermeer such as 'The Girl with a Pearl Earring' and 'View of Delft'.
The Friends of the Mauritshuis were the first to show the museum's latest acquisition. It is a minuscule oval painting called 'The Meal at Emmaus' from 1605 by Joachim Wittewael. Only 11 by 9 cm. But the result is spectacular.
What I have heard several times from insiders in The Hague is that the restoration of the Binnenhof is completely out of hand, both in terms of time and financially. The planned completion date of 2028 will certainly not be met and the associated costs, which have already been adjusted twice from originally 500 mlj. to now 2 billion, is significantly exceeded.
Isn't it time for the new cabinet to pull the plug on this megalomaniac project? Give the Binnenhof a different purpose.
Think of hotels, shops, offices and apartments and give the adjacent Mauritshuis a wing so that they can handle more visitors.
We'll send you a nice letter once per week. No spam.
