Mauritshuis Director Martine Gosselink on Vermeer, Rembrandt, and the Museum's Royal Heritage

In an interview with Tendencias del Mercado del Arte, Martine Gosselink, director of the Mauritshuis in The Hague, discusses the museum's history, collection, and challenges of mass tourism. The Mauritshuis, originally a palace built for Count Johan Maurits, governor of Dutch Brazil, opened as the Royal Cabinet of Paintings in 1822. Its collection features Dutch and Flemish Golden Age masterpieces including Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, and Carel Fabritius's The Goldfinch. Gosselink emphasizes the museum's commitment to being welcoming to all, addressing colonialism and restitution. She recalls her first art memory at age 12 visiting the Rijksmuseum, and later studying Rembrandt's prints and drawings. The museum limits annual visitors to 500,000–550,000 to maintain quality experience. Some masterpieces will travel to Madrid this autumn through an exchange agreement with the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Gosselink highlights recent acquisitions like Van der Ast's Solitary Tulip and self-portraits by Adriaen van de Venne and Voskuyl. The museum remains a royal institution, frequently visited by the current monarchs.