Escher in Palace

M.C. Escher

Escher in Palace

´Escher in Het Paleis` is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the world-famous artist M.C. Escher, whose art startled millions of people all over the world. 

The collection is housed in the former Winter Palace of Queen Mother Emma of the Netherlands. It is the only public building in The Hague where the original royal ambience of a palace has been maintained.

Emma, the great-grandmother of present Queen Beatrix, used this palace as her winter residence from 1901 until her death in 1934. The Palace was officially used by the royal family until 1990. The building itself is more than two hundred years old. It is situated in the historical heart of The Hague, along one of the most beautiful and prestigious boulevards in The Netherlands: het Lange Voorhout, which hosts a large number of cultural events in the summer.

The Palace chambers offer visitors a contemporary perspective of what The Palace would have looked like in Emma’s day.

In Escher in Het Paleis, almost all of the works of the world-famous Dutch artist M.C. Escher (1898-1972) are on display. 

Chandeliers

The Rotterdam-based artist Hans van Bentem designed beautiful chandeliers for the former Palace chambers. The ballroom, for instance, is adorned with an enormous star that is endlessly reflected in two classical mirrors. In other rooms, a shark, a spider and a sea horse can be seen floating above the works of Escher. The contemporary chandeliers add a touch of Royal sophistication to the intimate rooms.