Mauritshuis

Insiders as well as outsiders responded overwhelmingly positive to this new visual identity. The museum’s collection was always well known, but the museum itself was not. Masterpieces such as ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ by Vermeer were formerly associated with the Rijksmuseum. As an effect of the new visual identity the Mauritshuis now has a clear profile with the position and recognition it deserves, supporting the museum’s objective to get more people interested in the Dutch culture and history connected to the Golden Age.

Inspired by artists’ monograms, the new logo overlaps reproductions of key paintings to communicate a clear link between the Mauritshuis and its collection. Supported by a contemporary wordmark, the logo hints at the museum’s heritage while placing it in the 21st century. Golden Age paintings are known for their details: look closer and you’ll see more. We expressed this idea in the logo and a new photographic style: paintings are shown in context, through doorways. The core colour evokes royalty, the Golden Age and the house’s baroque interiors, while a brighter secondary palette echoes its famous damask wall coverings.
We applied the identity to a range of collateral including entrance tickets, invitations, ground plans, trams and flyers, as well as a new and comprehensive collection catalogue. We also created a new identity for The Friends of the Mauritshuis – a foundation that supports the museum with funding for new acquisitions and exhibitions.

Built in the 17th century and acquired by the Dutch State in 1820, the Mauritshuis is a fine example of Dutch Classicist architecture. Home of the Royal Picture Gallery since 1822, its opulent rooms are filled with Golden Age masterpieces including ‘The Goldfinch’ (1654) by Carel Fabritius, Rembrandt’s ‘The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp’ (1632) and ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ (c.1665) by Vermeer.
Following a two-year refurbishment, the Mauritshuis also needed a new visual identity. This new identity had to enhance the museum’s attractiveness to the general public and its specific target groups by focussing outward, presenting the Mauritshuis as an accessible ‘open house’. Crucial principle in this process was that the renewal should enrich and strengthen the museum while respecting its values as keeper of the unique art collection as well as its own heritage.