Photos: Hubertl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Michielverbeek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 GoldenArtists, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Hubertl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Michielverbeek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 GoldenArtists, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The Mauritshuis and the Dutch Golden Age, from the water
Your local guide
Bram Bakker
View profile
Highlights
- Vermeer's pearl earring, described in detail
- Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson explained
- A 17th-century townhouse turned museum
- The museum's own reflection in the water
- A close look, no queue required
About this tour
This session looks at two paintings from outside the building that holds them, using the Mauritshuis's own reflection in the Hofvijver as the backdrop. You hear a close description of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson, and how a 17th-century private house became one of the country's best small museums. It stays in one spot rather than moving far.
We settle by the water early and keep the frame mostly still, since the point is listening rather than walking. I describe each painting slowly, colour and composition first, then the history behind it, and take questions between the two. Nothing tangible changes hands, but a short reading list follows by message.
It suits anyone curious about Dutch Golden Age painting who cannot get a museum ticket or prefers to skip the queue entirely. It also works as a short session on its own, since it needs no walking beyond the waterline.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of The Hague before heading out.
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Mauritshuis exterior 15 min
The camera holds on the museum's brick facade from across the water, and I describe Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring in detail, brushwork and all, since filming inside is not permitted.
-
Hofvijver waterline 15 min
From the same spot along the Hofvijver, I explain Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson and how both paintings came to hang in a building built as a private townhouse.
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Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about The Hague: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Haring (raw herring) and Scheveningen, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Amsterdam time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through The Hague, showing you Mauritshuis exterior and Hofvijver waterline live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk The Hague live with my phone.
Times shown in Amsterdam time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Wed 11 Nov · 8 seats left From 22,00 €
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