Located in a former Royal Winter Palace, the works of M. C. Escher in The Hague is something that you cannot miss whenever you visit the seat of government of the Netherlands. You need to visit the Het Paleis for the fantastic artwork presented, but you should stay longer to enjoy the beauty of the building itself.
M. C. Escher in Het Paleis is a permanent exhibition featuring the fantastic artwork of Maurits Cornelis Escher, who lived from 1898 to 1972. Prints from the Dutch artist are exhibited on the rooms from the former Winter Palace of Queen Mother Emma of the Netherlands, and it’s one of the few buildings in The Hague where you can still experience the ambiance of a former palace.
We saw the work of M. C. Escher in The Hague back in January 2019 when we spend some days traveling between Rotterdam and The Hague. The museum is exceptional and should be on everyone’s travel list, as you can see by the pictures we took there.
As art lovers, we have been fascinated with the work of M. C. Escher since we first set eyes on his optical illusions and perspective drawings. His way of seeing things and capturing it on paper is unique, and you leave his museum, thinking that he was a genius and not human-like us.
Experience the World of M. C. Escher in The Hague
In the museum, you can see some of M. C. Escher’s most famous works. Like “Sky and Water” where birds become fishes, “Waterfall,” where you can see water defying gravity and a lot of woodcuts and lithographs from his long careers. Including some early Italian landscapes that are more than amazing. But the highlight of the exhibition for us was the seven-meter long piece called Metamorphosis III that is presented in a circle so you can experience the infinity aspect of Escher’s work.
And all of this is only the first floor of the museum. On the second floor, you are going to be able to experience his work differently since this is an interactive part of the exhibition. There is an Optical Room where you can see how optical illusions are made and how Escher used some of the principles of visual art to create his own version of it.
Personally, we were more excited to see his work on the first floor than this, but we can imagine that children would love to be able to play around in this place.
A Visit to a Palace of the Dutch Royalty
Besides the fantastic work of Escher, this museum in The Hague has more to offer to visitors since it is the former Winter Palace of Queen Mother Emma of the Netherlands. The great-great-grandmother of Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands used the palace as her winter residence between 1901 and 1934, the year of her death. And four generations of Dutch Queens – Emma, Wilhelmina, Juliana, and Beatrix – used it as their working palace until 1984, when Queen Beatrix moved the office to Paleis Noordeinde.
In the rooms of the former palace, you are going to be able to see 15 chandeliers made by Hans van Bentem, a Rotterdam artist who designed them, especially for the museum, with references to the work of Escher.
The M. C. Escher in Het Paleis in The Hague is fantastic and should be on everyone’s list of things to visit and do in The Hague. You can’t miss it.
The Escher Museum is open from Tuesdays to Sundays, from 11:00 to 17:00, and the price of admission is €10 for adults, and children under six years can see everything for free. Also, the Museum Shop is impressive, and there you can find books about M. C. Escher and a lot of prints of his work. We have some of it on our walls now.
Also, close to the museum, you can find the Hofvijver, a gorgeous pond in the middle of the city!
M. C. Escher in Het Paleis in The Hague
Lange Voorhout 74 – 2514 EH Den Haag
