Kunstmuseum highlights The Hague School

Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch, Strandgezicht, 1887, olieverf op doek, 72,8 x 102,9 cm, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag

To this day, the work of the painters of the Hague School remains one of the best-loved and most visited parts of Kunstmuseum Den Haag's collection. This exhibition will reflect on the enduring appeal of this art movement. Why did the Hague School grow into such a successful movement in the nineteenth century, dominating the art market until the First World War? Why did this group of artists, even after they were well established, still receive so much appreciation from a younger generation like Breitner and Van Gogh? And why do the paintings of the Hague School – which now illustrate a lost world – still appeal to the imagination?

The appeal and immediacy of the Hague School will be highlighted on the basis of six themes, including 'sentiment', 'spontaneity', 'light', 'poetry', 'nature experience' and 'landscape in transition'. Highlights and surprises from the collection will be shown in juxtaposition with international masters such as Van Gogh and Monet, and also contemporary artists, photographers and writers.

The exhibition will run from 16 March to 1 September 2024.