The Mesdag Collection houses the exceptional collection of 19th-century art assembled by the renowned marine painter Hendrik Willem Mesdag and his wife Sientje Mesdag-van Houten. The collection, which contains a host of masterpieces by the French Barbizon School and the Hague School, has been exhibited in the Mesdags’ delightful private museum since 1887. Adjacent to the museum is the Mesdags’ former home, which can be hired for meetings and events.

A presentation on the painter Antonio Mancini:
Mesdag and Mancini

Presentation of paintings:
Through the eyes of Vincent van Gogh.

Would you like to know more about The Mesdag Collection?
Book a guided tour.

Soon

Summer exhibition Imagining the Orient

This month we have the painting Alone in the spotlight by Jozef Israëls. Mesdag was willing to hand over the sizeable sum of 10,000 guilders for this large painting by his best friend, Jozef Israëls. This was a fortune in those days. The impressive work had already won several Dutch and international prizes when Mesdag purchased it from an art dealer’s, shortly before his Museum Mesdag opened to the public.

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In the late 19th century, the Mesdags held many leadership positions in the art world of The Hague. Hendrik Willem and Sientje served on numerous boards, organised parties and receptions and opened the doors of their own studios to the cultural elite. They also exhibited their own art collection in one of the first museums of contemporary art. Many photographs of their lives have been preserved. They include portraits, of course, but also beautiful views of their studios, their private quarters and the many social events that they organised. On 10 October a semi-permanent presentation will open in their former residence, with reproductions of these historic photographs showing the many-faceted lives of this artist couple.

Read more about the presentation ‘At home with the Mesdags: Photographs of an artistic life‘.

Order online or buy in the Museum shop the book  The Mesdag Collection by Maite van Dijk, curator and Renske Suijver, researcher at the Van Gogh Museum.

This richly illustrated book tells the story of the remarkable collector from The Hague and includes all the highlights of the collection. Languages: English and Dutch. Price € 19,95.

> This book is available in the Van Gogh Museum online shop

Download the information brochure (pdf).

The Mesdag Collection is managed by the Van Gogh Museum.