Permanent Collection
Escher in het Paleis at the Lange Voorhout is dedicated to the work of Holland's most famous graphic artist M. C. Escher (1898-1972). Nearly all his prints are exhibited, among them Belvedere, Drawing Hands, Waterfall, and Ascending and Descending. Here you can see how Escher changed fishes into birds, water flows upstream and the less known, but very attractive early Italian landscape. On two floors you observe the change from the real world to the constructed worlds he gave us. Visual illusion is a key word in his work. In the exhibition included is a permant slideshow, also English spoken, about Eschers life and work.
On the second floor we have several facilities to learn about and to experience Eschers work in a new way: in Eschers Room you'll become a visual illusion yourself by changing your own proportions. An exciting virtual reality programme gives you a feeling of being inside Escher's world.
This former Palace has been bought by Queen Emma in 1896, the great-grandmother of our Queen. It is situated in the centre of historical The Hague and gives a homely and royal surrounding for the extraordinary world of Escher. Since December 2003 we have 15 chandeliers made by Hans van Bentem, a young Dutch sculptor. Their shapes are either inspired by the work of Escher, or the eighteenth century palace. They make a surreal combination with the prints of Escher and increase the royal atmosfere of the building. The chandeliers are permanently on view in the former royal rooms on the ground, and first floor.