'View of The Hague' by Jan van Goyen: The Hague's city pride painted on canvas
- Hidden gems
- February 7, 2025
- 5 min read
The prosperity of The Hague
In the Golden Age, the Netherlands was doing well economically and many cities were busy making their town halls more beautiful. They did this, among other things, by having cityscapes painted. 'A few years earlier, Jan van Goyen had also made cityscapes for the town hall of Nijmegen, so The Hague could not really stay behind. Especially since Jan van Goyen was a famous painter from The Hague!' says Martijn. In 1650, Van Goyen was commissioned to paint a real cityscape of The Hague. A painting that was not only intended to decorate the meeting room of the mayors, but also to show everyone how prosperous The Hague was.
The artist behind the canvas
Jan van Goyen, originally from Leiden, became a true citizen of The Hague and played an important role in the local art world, not only as an artist but also as head of the St. Luke's Guild. 'Van Goyen had high-level contacts and was also Jan Steen's father-in-law. As a former head of the painters' guild, it was inevitable that he would receive this important commission.'
Jan van Goyen was a man of many talents and some controversies. His life was not without scandals. 'He even tried to defraud the bill for this painting. He submitted the bill twice and surprisingly it was paid both times. That says something about how much the city appreciated his work.'
The Hague city pride depicted
Jan van Goyen, originally from Leiden, became a true citizen of The Hague and played an important role in the local art world, not only as an artist but also as head of the St. Luke's Guild. 'Van Goyen had high-level contacts and was also Jan Steen's father-in-law. As a former head of the painters' guild, it was inevitable that he would receive this important commission.'
An interesting detail is the way in which Van Goyen claimed the painting as a real Hague painting: 'Somewhere on the canvas he subtly depicted the Hague stork. That is of course the symbol of The Hague.' But he also incorporated other important buildings in The Hague into the painting. Although according to Martijn he may have exaggerated a bit at times. 'For example, the Grote Kerk is just a bit bigger than it would be in reality and the Paleis Noordeinde has been turned, so that you can see the beautiful front instead of the side.'
When you look at the painting, you can see that Van Goyen himself was also really proud to live in this city. For example, his own house on the Dunne Bierkade is also depicted in the painting. 'Coincidentally, the sun is shining right on it!', Martijn says laughing. In addition, Van Goyen has subtly applied his own monogram to the ship. 'You can see that he was proud of the painting and that everyone should know that he had made it.'
From the museum to the Atrium
In 1651, Van Goyen presented the painting, which was no less than 4,60 metres wide. This made it the largest cityscape in Holland. It was placed in the mayor's room in the old town hall. Later, it was moved to various locations, including the municipal museum.
Now, due to the renovation of the Hague Historical Museum, the painting has temporarily found a new home in the Atrium of the city hall. 'The museum's masterpiece must of course remain visible to the public. And what better place than the city hall, where it was originally made for?'. In a specially climate-controlled display case, the painting is safely displayed in the Atrium and can be viewed for another year and a half. A unique opportunity for everyone to experience a real piece of The Hague pride, painted by one of our greatest artists! Can you find the stork? Let us know on our socials and don't forget to tag us!
Would you like to know more about Jan van Goyen? Then we have good news. The Hague Historical Museum organizes free lectures in the libraries of The Hague. Click here for more information.
