Museum sights in Haarlem
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Frans Hals Museum
The Frans Hals Museum is a must for anyone interested in the Dutch masters. Kept in an almshouse where Hals spent his final, impoverished years, the collection focuses on the 17th-century Haarlem School, which is regarded as the pinnacle of Dutch mannerist art. Eight group portraits by Hals detailing the companies of the Civic Guard are the museum’s pride and joy, revealing the painter’s exceptional attention to mood and psychological tone. Don’t miss his two paintings known collectively as the Regents & the Regentesses of the Old Men’s Almshouse (1664). Among other treasures are ceiling-high illustrations of the human anatomy with biblical and mythological allusi…
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Teylers Museum
It’s shocking, but depending on your tastes, the Teylers Museum may top Frans Hals. It’s the oldest museum in the country (1778) and contains an array of whiz-bang inventions, such as an 18th-century electrostatic machine that conjures up visions of mad scientists. The eclectic collection also has paintings from the Dutch and French schools and numerous temporary exhibitions. The interiors are as good as the displays: the magnificent, sky-lighted Ovale Zaal (Oval Room) contains natural history specimens in elegant glass cases on two levels.
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Verweyhal
On Grote Markt, in a fancy Renaissance building, the Verweyhal designed by Lieven de Key, houses the Frans Hals Museum's collection of modern art, including works by Dutch impressionists and the CoBrA movement. This museum, together with the Vleeshal next door, are collectively known as De Hallen.
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Vleeshal
On Grote Markt, the Vleeshal holds contemporary art exhibitions. It is known collectively with the Verweyhal next door, as De Hallen.
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