Masterpieces &favorites from Royal Picture Gallery-the Hague

Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, 1665; called the Dutch Mona Lisa, the painting has gained notoriety recently as the subject of a popular book and movie

The Mauritshuis is the most famous art museum in The Hague; most of the works featured are Dutch Golden Age paintings

Ambrosius Bosschaert I, Vase of Flowers in a Window, 1620; I just loved the incredible detail in this 500 year old painting

Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1632; this painting made Rembrandt a star in the Amsterdam art scene

Carel Fabritius, The Goldfinch, 1654; this painting was made famous as the subject of the great 2013 book by Donna Tartt

Willem van Haecht, Apelles Painting Campaspe, c. 1630; this is one of the most ambitious and well-executed works I've ever seen

Peter Paul Rubens, Old Woman and Boy, 1617; the Mauritshuis is expensive at 15.50 euros but you can buy a museum card that let's you visit 5 Dutch museums while skipping the lines at the popular ones in Amsterdam

The Mauritshuis, frequently called the Royal Picture Gallery, recently expanded into an adjacent building via an underground tunnel; the collection of paintings of William V, Prince of Orange was presented to the Dutch state by his son, King William I

Joachim Beuckelaer, Kitchen Scene with Christ at Emmaus, 1565; this incredibly detailed painting was a precursor to the still lifes of the 17th century

The 2 story, symmetrical Mauritshuis was built in 1641 next to the Binnenhof; it became an art museum in 1822 and was opened to the public

Johannes Vermeer, View of Delft, 1661; this is the most famous cityscape from the Dutch Golden Age (the Oostpoort on the right still exists)

Rembrandt, Self-Portrait, 1669; the Mauritshuis is often called a mini-Rijksmuseum since it is more intimate and less overwhelming than the Amsterdam museum

Peter Paul Rubens, Modello for the Assumption of the Virgin, 1625; this is not a finished painting, but a model, for an enormous altarpiece at the Antwerp Cathedral

Jan Brueghel I and Hendrik van Balen, Garland of Fruit Surrounding a Depiction of Cybele, 1623; the museum had an audioguide but the Rick Steves tour was excellent too