het puttertje in vogelvlucht

The Mauritshuis is a relatively small museum in The Hague, but houses a world-famous and unique collection of 800 paintings in total. Some of the best work of Dutch painters from the Golden Age can be seen there. It is home to: ‘The girl with the pearl earring’ by Vermeer, ‘The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt, ‘The Bull’ by Paulus Potter and ‘The Goldfinch’ by Fabritius.

The website, the first in a number of stories, consists of 9 different layers and lets the viewer experience the complete story of ‘The Goldfinch’; the history of the painting. The symbolism. The painter Fabritius who died during ‘De Delfste Donderslag’ and how the Goldfinch was the inspiration for Antiono Vivaldi, Donna Tart and many others.

In short, through the rich history behind ‘The Goldfinch’ embedded in the intuitive form of the website, the Mauritshuis truly paints a picture of the Golden Age. And by exposing the painting to a large audience – young and old – in this way, the viewers discover surprising new stories behind the painting. This deepens the perception of the Collection of the Mauritshuis and motivates people to come and watch the actual painting in real life.

The Mauritshuis is the place where art lovers can learn something new and where art-noobs can listen to stories. It is a museum full of contrasts. Modern readings on the collection and masterpieces that surprise you at second glance. From this double take came the payoff: ‘Het Mauritshuis schildert de Gouden Eeuw’ (The Mauritshuis paints the Golden Era).

The Collection is the core strength of the Mauritshuis. To attract new visitors we must show and tell that the Mauritshuis is the place to find masterpieces and is the centre of knowledge when it comes to paintings from the Golden Age. Still, the Golden Age feels a bit old fashioned and corny. But that’s unfair. To change the perception we’ve developed a concept that places The Collection in a whole new perspective. There are so many different unknown stories behind all the paintings. Stories really worth sharing.

We start off with the world famous painting by Carel Fabritius; ‘The Goldfinch’.
The Mauritshuis takes you on a tour through the life of ‘The Goldfinch’ and tells the story behind the painting on an immersive website.

Despite of these masterpieces and a spectacular reopening in 2014 the number of visitors is declining. The name of the museum is not enough to attract new visitors. The Mauritshuis feels a bit elitist and inaccessible. Next to this, people are just unaware which world-famous masterpieces can be seen in the museum. The temporary exhibitions make sure there is regularity but there is no security in visits. We need this to attract new visitors. How can we turn the tide?

Jury Feedback

DIGITAL / BRONZE

‘Great execution on mobile. For a museum it’s innovative to highlight a special work in a super storytelling that feels well rounded. It has soul. It’s touching to see an elegant sweet painting be lifted up in this way. It makes you fall in love with the artwork. For a campaign site it nds a beautiful way to tell a story that ts the digital environment.’