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Muiden Castle was built in 1285 for Count Floris V. It has been through many phases over the years – it was once a residence, it has been occupied, it has been demolished and rebuilt. Since 1878, the Muiderslot has been a national museum, after which the foundations of the collection were laid. Special emphasis is placed on one of our most famous residents: the seventeenth-century writer P.C. Hooft.
Examples from the collection include Amaryllis Crowns Mirtillo by Jacob van Loo from c. 1648 and The Legend of the Baker of Eeklo, a copy after Cornelis van Dalem and Jan van Wechelen from the second half of the sixteenth century. There is also a bed carriage from the first half of the seventeenth century and a medieval chest from the fourteenth century. Besides objects such as artworks and utensils, the collection also comprises the surrounding landscape heritage (historical gardens with “forgotten” vegetables, flowers, and plants).
The combination of the interior and its surroundings make it possible to explore new connections and interpretations, and to create a multivocal history. This makes the collection more than a window into the past: it also offers a perspective from which to view our present-day world.
Dominique van den Broek, Project Curator of the Collection (January 2023)