The Hague School: The Second Golden Age of Dutch Painting

On Friday, April 19, through Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the Lightner Museum presents The Hague School: The Second Golden Age of Dutch Painting.

Special Guided Tour

Don Robbins, the collector of these paintings, offers an intimate tour of this exhibition on three separate days in 2025:  

• Saturday, January 18, at 12:30 p.m.
• Friday, January 24, at 8:30 a.m.
• Saturday, February 1, at 12:30 p.m.

Only eight guests may take each tour. For this event, admission to the tour and the museum is $25.00 per person. Lightner Museum members may attend free and must register in advance. Check in at the front desk of the museum when arriving for the tour.

About The Hague School

Unlike the detailed realism and secular subjects that were the focus of the first golden age of Dutch paintings in the 17th century, The Hague School—a group of artists living in the Hague in the late 1800s—is known for atmospheric paintings of the countryside and the North Sea. The art from that era and locale became known as the Second Golden Age of Dutch Painting.

The paintings in this exhibit are from The Robbins Collection and this is the first time they will be presented to the public as a group. These works tended to be of everyday life in the Netherlands, depicting sailboats, windmills, canals, and the traditional way of life. The artists appreciated the natural world and shared a passion for trying new techniques. The art they produced is atmospheric and depicts the joys and challenges of life across Holland in the late 19th century.

Admission: Regular museum admission is $19.00 for adults; $16.00 for college students, the military, and seniors; $12.00 for St. Johns County residents and youth ages 12-17; free for children 11 and younger.

When: From Friday, April 19, through Wednesday, February 5, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where: The Lightner Museum is located at 75 King St. in historic downtown St. Augustine.

The hero photo is a section of Sunset in Holland (1875-1885) by Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël.

The Museum is generally open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., seven days a week. They are closed on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

This exhibit is presented by the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council. The State of Florida, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The National Endowment for the Arts has provided additional support.