Castle de Haar—straight out of a fairy tale

Rising majestically above the trees, deep in the center of the Netherlands, the towers of Castle de Haar glisten in the morning sunlight.

This is no ordinary castle.

It is the largest in the Netherlands, and one of the most luxurious in Europe.

From Humble Beginnings

To go from this, in 1892 …

De Haar House, before restoration
De Haar House, before restoration

… to this, in 1912 …

Castle de Haar aerial view. Credit Jan Koning
Castle de Haar aerial view. Credit Jan Koning

… required big money. Rothschild money.

Castle de Haar. Credit Jim van der Mee, flickr
Castle de Haar. Credit Jim van der Mee, flickr
De Haar Castle near Utrecht Holland by Reijer Zwart on 500px.com
Sunset at Castle de Haar by Marcel Tuit on 500px.com

In 1391, the family De Haar was granted rights to the original castle and surrounding lands that existed on the same site as the current castle.

Changing hands to the Van Zuylen family in 1440, then burned down and rebuilt in the early 1500s, the castle had fallen into ruins by the late 17th century.

Castle de Haar Main Hall. Credit Daniel Mennerich
Castle de Haar Main Hall. Credit Daniel Mennerich

Eventually, De Haar was inherited by Etienne Gustave Frédéric Baron van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar.

Try saying that with a mouthful of Edam.

Etienne married Baroness Hélène de Rothschild in 1887—and the money connection was forged.

Restoration on a Grand Scale

20-years of restoration has created one of the world’s most beautiful and romantic castles.

Castle de Haar. Credit Bert Kaufmann, flickr
Castle de Haar. Credit Bert Kaufmann, flickr
De Haar Castle by Amit Kirpane on 500px.com

Fully financed by Hélène’s family, the Rothschilds, the famous Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers  set about building 200 rooms and 30 bathrooms.

Well, you never know when you’ve got to go, do you?

Installing all the mod-cons of the late Victorian and Edwardian Eras, the castle had electrical lighting running off its own generator and steam-based central heating.

A large collection of copper pots and pans adorns the kitchen that was very modern for its day, having a 20 ft-long furnace heated with either coal or peat.

Castle de Haar Kitchen. Credit Arjandb

Decorated with fine detail throughout, the kitchen tiles have the coat of arms of both the De Haar and Van Zuylen families.

Castle de Haar Kitchen. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Kitchen. Credit Arjandb

Richly ornamented woodcarving reminiscent of a Roman Catholic church adorns the interior along with old Flemish tapestries and paintings.

Castle de Haar Main Hall. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Main Hall. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Main Hall. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Main Hall. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Bedroom. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Bedroom. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar interior. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar interior. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Cuypers Room. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Cuypers Room. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Bathroom. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Bathroom. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Bathroom. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar Bathroom. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar interior. Credit Arjandb
Castle de Haar interior. Credit Arjandb

Formal Gardens

Reminiscent of the French gardens of Versailles, the surrounding park contains many waterworks and 7000 trees.

Castle de Haar aerial view. Credit Johan Bakker
Castle de Haar aerial view. Credit Johan Bakker
Castle de Haar aerial view. Credit Jan Koning
Castle de Haar aerial view. Credit Jan Koning
Kasteel de Haar by Emiliano Quintela on 500px.com
De Haar Castle by dmarchitan on 500px.com
Rose garden at Castle de Haar. Credit Ewald Zomer
Rose garden at Castle de Haar. Credit Ewald Zomer

Elf Fantasy Fair

Attracting some 22,500 visitors every year, the Elf Fantasy Fair held in April at Castle de Haar is the largest fantasy event in Europe.

Next to fantasy, there are also themes from science fiction, gothic, manga, cosplay and historical reenactment genres.

Two fairies at the Elf Fantasy Fair at Castle de Haar. Credit Juvarra
Two fairies at the Elf Fantasy Fair at Castle de Haar. Credit Juvarra
Three participants in the Elf Fantasy Fair at Castle de Haar. Credit Hans Splinter, flickr
Three participants in the Elf Fantasy Fair at Castle de Haar. Credit Hans Splinter, flickr
Click to show Google Street View of Castle de Haar

25 Dreamlike Paintings of 19th-Century Dutch Towns and Cities

Self portrait as a firewood gatherer walking along a frozen canal.
Self-portrait as a firewood gatherer walking along a frozen canal.

Cornelis Springer (1817-1891) specialised in the arrangement and accurate representation of town scenes. His paintings were in such high demand that he had a two-year waiting list.

Raised in a family of architects and building contractors, he learned early to appreciate the beautiful buildings of Amsterdam.

Learning perspective drawing from his brother Hendrick—a professional architect—he completed his studies at the Amsterdam Academy of Fine Arts under instruction from Kaspar Karsen, a famous townscape painter.

Cornelis Springer’s beautiful scenes depict people going about day-to-day life—gathering at the fish market, unloading horse-drawn carts, merchants selling goods, or businessmen in conversation outside elegant canalside buildings.

With a keen eye for the social and economic activities that drive a city, Springer brings to life the beauty of Dutch architecture.

Altstadtmarkt in Brunswijk by Cornelis Springer
Altstadtmarkt in Brunswijk by Cornelis Springer
Zuiderhavendijk, Enkhuizen by Cornelis Springer, 1868
Zuiderhavendijk, Enkhuizen by Cornelis Springer, 1868
A View of a Town along the Rhine by Cornelis Springer
A View of a Town along the Rhine by Cornelis Springer
Altstadtmarkt in Brunswijk by Cornelis Springer
Altstadtmarkt in Brunswijk by Cornelis Springer
A View of Franeker with the Zakkend Ragerschuisje by Cornelis Springer
A View of Franeker with the Zakkend Ragerschuisje by Cornelis Springer
Cheese market with the Weigh house in Enkhuizen by Cornelis Springer, 1867
Cheese market with the Weigh house in Enkhuizen by Cornelis Springer, 1867
Cornelis Springer, The Gemeenlandshuis and the Old Church, Delft by Cornelis Springer, 1877
Cornelis Springer, The Gemeenlandshuis and the Old Church, Delft by Cornelis Springer, 1877
Village View by Cornelis Springer
Village View by Cornelis Springer
A View of the Delftse Vaart and Saint Laurens Church, Rotterdam by Cornelis Springer, 1840
A View of the Delftse Vaart and Saint Laurens Church, Rotterdam by Cornelis Springer, 1840
Figures on a Market Square in a Dutch Town by Cornelis Springer, 1843
Figures on a Market Square in a Dutch Town by Cornelis Springer, 1843
Study for View on Den Haag by Cornelis Springer
Study for View on Den Haag by Cornelis Springer
The town hall at Leiden by Cornelis Springer, 1870
The town hall at Leiden by Cornelis Springer, 1870
The Orphanage On The Hooglandse Kerkgracht, Leiden by Cornelis Springer
The Orphanage On The Hooglandse Kerkgracht, Leiden by Cornelis Springer
City View at Hoorn by Cornelis Springer
City View at Hoorn by Cornelis Springer
Market Oudewater by Cornelis Springer
Market Oudewater by Cornelis Springer
The bend in the Herengracht by Cornelis Springer, 1882
The bend in the Herengracht by Cornelis Springer, 1882
Walenkerk Haarlem by Cornelis Springer
Walenkerk Haarlem by Cornelis Springer
View of Montelspran by Cornelis Springer
View of Montelspran by Cornelis Springer
View on Enkhuizen by Cornelis Springer
View on Enkhuizen by Cornelis Springer
Voorburgwal in Amsterdam by Cornelis Springer
Voorburgwal in Amsterdam by Cornelis Springer
Many Figures On The Market Square In Front Of The Martinikirche, Braunschweig by Cornelis Springer
Many Figures On The Market Square In Front Of The Martinikirche, Braunschweig by Cornelis Springer
St. Michael Church in Zwolle by Cornelis Springer, 1862
St. Michael Church in Zwolle by Cornelis Springer, 1862
A view of the Staal Everspijp and the Grote Kerk in summer, Enkhuizen by Cornelis Springer, 1866
A view of the Staal Everspijp and the Grote Kerk in summer, Enkhuizen by Cornelis Springer, 1866
A View of the Delftse Vaart and Saint Laurens Church, Rotterdam by Cornelis Springer, 1840
A View of the Delftse Vaart and Saint Laurens Church, Rotterdam by Cornelis Springer, 1840
View behind the Grote Kerk in Naarden by Cornelis Springer
View behind the Grote Kerk in Naarden by Cornelis Springer

When is a Night Watch not a Night Watch? When it’s Rembrandt’s most famous painting.

Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch’ is arguably the most famous painting in the Netherlands.

It was painted in 1642, during the Dutch Golden Age—a time when Dutch trade, science, military, and art led the world.

With the largest fleet of merchant ships, the Dutch Republic had built a vast colonial empire, and the County of Holland had become  the wealthiest and most urbanized region in the world.

Dutch East-India trading ship 1600
Dutch East-India trading ship 1600

This was a time when militia groups in Amsterdam—elite citizens who had helped defend the city against the Spanish Empire—paraded ceremoniously in public displays of civic pride.

It was one such group—the Amsterdam civic guard company of musketeers—that commissioned Rembrandt to paint “The Night Watch.”

But there’s something odd about the name “Night Watch”: it was not the name of the original painting.

By the end of the 18th century, the painting had accumulated so many layers of varnish and dirt, that it looked like the scene took place at night—and hence, it was misnamed “The Night Watch”.

The below image depicts how it might have looked when obscured by the build up of varnish.

The Nightwatch by Rembrandt, 1642 (simulated partially obscured by layers of varnish and dirt)
The Night Watch by Rembrandt, 1642 (simulated partially obscured by layers of varnish and dirt)

Art historians believe the original name would have been similar to other contemporary portraits, essentially named after the most prominent subjects in the painting: “Officers and Men of the Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Wilhelm van Ruytenburgh.”

When the painting was cleaned, it was clear that although still dark because of the Italian Baroque style, it depicted a daytime event.

The Nightwatch by Rembrandt, 1642 (cleaned)
The Night Watch by Rembrandt, 1642 (cleaned)

In the Night Watch, Rembrandt takes group portraits in a new and exciting direction. He imposes a hierarchy on the figures, throwing the two central figures in a glowing baroque light to make them stand out. It’s almost as though a spotlight is casting a dark shadow of the captain’s outstretched hand onto the dazzling pale yellow uniform of his lieutenant.

Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Wilhelm van Ruytenburgh
Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Wilhelm van Ruytenburgh

There is so much going on in the painting to emphasize movement. There is a story unfolding.

Skill with the musket was this militia group’s specialization, and we see three stages in the use of the firearm.

(Left) a militiaman pours gunpowder down the barrel of his musket; (top-right) a small helmeted figure fires his hun into the air—the plume of smoke seen behind the lietenant's hat; (bottom-right) a third figure blows out used powder from the musket pan.
(Left) a militiaman pours gunpowder down the barrel of his musket; (top-right) a small helmeted figure fires his gun into the air—the plume of smoke seen behind the lieutenant’s hat; (bottom-right) a third figure blows out used powder from the musket pan.

There’s an interesting narrative around the strangely glowing figure of a girl to the left of center. She is believed to be a mascot for the musketeers. At her waist, she carries a dead chicken, the prominent claws of which symbolize the emblem of the Musketeers.

The girl mascot carrying symbols of the Amsterdam Militia
The girl mascot carrying symbols of the Amsterdam Militia

Shown below is the chain of the Amsterdam Company of Arquebusiers (musketeers). Some of the links are decorated with claws—the emblem of the musketeers, as depicted by the little girl mascot above.

The Amsterdam Militia's Chain
The Amsterdam Militia’s Chain

The Musketeers would hold shooting contests, and the winner–the “king” of the guild–was allowed to wear the chain for a year.

Rembrandt skillfully involves the viewer in the story—almost as if the figures are interacting with us. The spear of the lieutenant and the Captain’s hand have almost a 3D quality and appear to enter the space of the onlooker.

As the dog barks at the excitement of the drumming (below, bottom left), and the standard-bearer hoists up the flag of the militia, the captain is calling together the group—to stop what they are doing and move forward.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the history lesson from Rembrandt as much as we have.

Click to see the real painting hanging in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam thanks to Google Maps

Sources
wikipedia.org.
Khan Academy.
Rembrandt’s Nightwatch: the Mystery Revealed by Georges Boka, Bernard Courteau.