English country houses have traditionally been the home to Dutch Golden Age masters. Most of these paintings were acquired in the eighteenth century, the heyday of the English country house. Although over time many owners were forced to sell works to raise funds, there are still many extraordinary paintings to be found in country houses today. For this exhibition, we have selected the most beautiful Dutch paintings from houses managed by the National Trust. This will be a first for the Mauritshuis: never before has such a selection been exhibited in the Netherlands.

Ambrosius Bosschaert II (1609-1645), Blackbird, Butterfly and Cherries, ca. 1635-45
Ham House, Surrey, The National Trust