Musical instruments

Kunstmuseum Den Haag has in its collection circa 4000 musical instruments, as well as a musical iconography collection comprising 3000 prints and drawings. Part of the museum’s collection of musical instruments comes from the vast collection amassed by the banker and music connoisseur Daniël François Scheurleer (1855–1927). In the early twentieth century, he displayed his many historical instruments, music prints and sheet music in a private museum next to his home in The Hague.  

Following Scheurleer’s death in 1927 and the bankruptcy of his bank five years later, the Municipality of The Hague purchased the collection. The Haags Gemeentemuseum (now Kunstmuseum Den Haag) opened in 1935 with a dedicated music department that displayed European string and wind instruments alongside those from places such as Bali, West Africa and Iran.  

Over the years, significant additions have been made to Scheurleer’s original collection, and certain focal points have emerged, including a fine collection of Japanese woodcuts and a collection of electronic musical instruments.  

Under the first curator, Dirk Jacobus Balfoort (1886-1964) , some instruments were still played. Later, the museum’s policy changed: to preserve the instruments for future generations, they are subject to strict conservation conditions, which means that they cannot be played (the extensive collection of sheet music was therefore transferred to the Netherlands Music Institute). Musicians, students and other researchers may view the instruments in the reading room on request.

An exception has been made for a few instruments, such as the oboe and flute in this exhibition and several synthesisers. With further research, we may be able to allow more instruments to be played.   

Provenance research

A number of these instruments were among the objects from Kunstmuseum Den Haag’s collection chosen for inclusion in the long-term research project exploring colonial connections within the museum. Various experts are, for example, conducting research into the Indonesian gamelan and the Baga drum.   

Base Line - Music Meets Art

‘This exhibition marks the beginning of a revaluation and repositioning of our collection of musical instruments, through which we aim to listen more closely to what this aspect of our heritage has to tell us.’  - Margriet Schavemaker, director of Kunstmuseum Den Haag about the exhibition Base Line – Music Meets Art

From 25 April 2026 to 14 February 2027, Kunstmuseum Den Haag will be exhibiting part of its collection of musical instruments for the first time in decades. To mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal Conservatoire, the exhibition Base Line brings together worlds of visual art and music.