Mauritshuis Museum, Den Haag

Warning: Art Geekout forthcoming

On Sunday the 16th, Erin and I decided to explore more of Den Haag, since we honestly haven’t seen much of it other than the courts, which are on the outskirts of Den Haag, not where the life is for the most part. We got up late and headed to the Mauritshuis, which is this absolutely amazing art museum in Den Haag, containing masterpieces from, among others painters, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Most notably, the Mauritshuis is home to Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.

This painting is beyond incredible. She follows you around the room, even as you look at the other paintings surrounding her, daring you to leave the room and her entrancing stare. There’s just something about her. Something that makes her real, more lifelike than any other painting. As I walked in the room, I was intensely concentrated on Michael Sweerts’ A Young Maidservant, not knowing whom I was sharing the room with. When she caught my eye, my heart skipped a beat. Although there was beauty surrounding her, I could not tear my eyes away. The Young Maidservant to the side of the Girl with a Pearl Earring is also radiant but in a different…an everyday way. While the Girl’s eyes show mischief and a quiet self-confidence, the Maidservant’s eyes are dark and full of longing.

Across the room from the Girl are some of the most incredible paintings of buildings, churches, and landscapes you’ve ever seen. Yet this side of the room is almost completely empty, deserted in wake of the Girl across the room. And what’s more… no one looks twice at the Maidservant.

But—could they be looking at each other if they were placed differently? The Maidservant seems to be looking out the window, and the Girl across the room. But if I had arranged the gallery, I may have placed them across the room from one another. Yet what would this say? Would that placement satisfy their longing? Finally to look at someone who wouldn’t turn away; someone who would look at her forever and never tire.

Other highlights at the museum for me included Johannes Vermeer’s View of Delft

Jan Brueghel I and Peter Paul Rubens’ The Garden of Eden With the Fall of Man

and Rembrandt Rijn’s Susanna and Two Moors

Art means a lot to me, even if I don’t have as intimate a relationship with it as I used to have. I love museums. They’re a place where I can be as solitary as I need and really sink into pieces of art. Sit where I want to sit for as long as I want, feel part of a painting, part of the furniture, and look into a piece of the artist, and subject’s, soul. That’s why I’m not a huge fan of commissioned portraits. I feel that these are just a shadow of most painters’ best work. The paintings that put bread on their table and allow artists to explore the painting they really want to complete.

Furthermore, often in portraits of royalty, black servants will be pictured to show the prestige of the royalty. This is something that I can’t stand… but yet fascinates me. Many times in portraits, people are pictured with an item of significant importance to them. Something that describes something about them and shows viewers what kind of a person this was. Thus, by adding a black slave to the photo, it is showing this person as an object. And not only that, but an object that says something about the subject of the portrait. The wealth and prestige. I own another human being, it says, and therefore I hold supreme power.

After the museum, Erin and I, who had separated since we had different museum paces, met up with Liz and Sam who had gone earlier, and got lunch at this British bakery slash lunch place called Kensington (yeah, I got a picture with the sign, betches) which was just about the most adorable bakery ever. The British man who owned it seemed to know every expat who lived in Den Haag, walking outside and greeting each one passing by. The food was amazing, both entrees and baked goods.

Then we hit the shops, of course, which is somewhat boring to retell, and headed back to the hostel for dinner. I skyped with Roth (happy T-bday darling!) and then we watched Havana Nights. Daymnnn.

Yay for finally catching up on blogging!
Mac