Description of the attraction
The Frans Hals Museum is a municipal museum in the Dutch city of Haarlem, which is also often referred to as the Museum of the Golden Age of Dutch Painting. It was officially opened to the public as a city museum back in 1862 and was located at the back of the city hall, known as the "Prinsenhof" and formerly owned by Dominican monks.
The beginning of the history of the museum collection goes back to the 1580s, when, as a result of the Reformation movement that swept Holland, the municipality of Haarlem became the property of a collection of unique canvases (mainly of religious themes) confiscated in Catholic churches and monasteries of the city. The paintings were kept in the town hall, and some of them became an integral part of its interior, and over time they were supplemented by four canvases specially commissioned by the city authorities on historical themes telling about the glorious past of Haarlem - three of them, including The Legend of the Shield of Haarlem, and today can be seen in the museum. In fact, even then the town hall became a museum, although this term has not been used for a long time.
The collection of the museum presented to the general public in 1862 included only 123 paintings, among which were the works of the famous Dutch portrait painter and the first official restorer of the treasures of the future museum - Frans Hals, after whom the museum got its name. Of course, over time, the collection of the museum was substantially replenished, which was greatly facilitated by the creation in 1875 of the Association for the Expansion of Works of Art and Antiquities, and the question of a new, more spacious house for the museum was raised. So, in 1913, the Frans Hals Museum moved to Groot Heiligland, 62, into a former poorhouse (and then an orphanage), where it is located today.
The museum complex is a typical Haarlem ensemble of the 17th century, consisting of adjoining small houses that surround a courtyard. The architectural ensemble was built back in 1609, but over time has undergone some changes, including during a large-scale reconstruction at the beginning of the 20th century, when the old almshouse turned into a museum, nevertheless retaining its original style.
The Frans Hals Museum is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the work of many outstanding Dutch masters of the 16-17th centuries, including Jan van Scorel, Frans Hals, Karel van Mander, Cornelis Cornelissen, Martin van Heemskerk, Hendrik Goltzius, Jan de Bray, Bartholomeus van der Gelsti and Jan Mince Molenaar. The museum's impressive collection of contemporary art is today housed in the museum's branch on the Grote Markt, known as the "Museum de Hallen".
