Paulus Potter's Bull has been restored again in the Mauritshuis.

Are you coming to look at Potter at the Mauritshuis too? The restoration of the world-famous painting 'The bullWork on Paulus Potter's painting started in March 2024, following extensive preliminary research in 2023. Our restorers have worked on this largest painting at the Mauritshuis for a year. This mega-project has now been completed. For the time being, the painting is still hanging in the restoration room. Afterwards, it will be rehung in its original place. Have you visited the Mauritshuis before? Over the last 10 years, I have seen all the temporary exhibitions. Very worthwhile, with its masterpieces! The sheet 'The Bull' is for sale from January 15, 2026. Edition: 6000 sheets.

The bull (1647)

The Bull is a painting by the Dutch artist Paulus Potter. The painting (oil on canvas) measures 2,355 × 3,39 meters. It was painted in 1647, when Potter was about 21 years old. It has been part of the collection of the Mauritshuis in The Hague since 1822.

Paulus Potter (1625–1654) was a Dutch painter of the Golden Age. Because he only lived to be 28 years old, the size of his oeuvre is limited. About a hundred of his works have survived. Nevertheless, he was influential and original.   Image Initially, Potter only wanted to paint a bull. Later, he added new pieces of canvas to the left, right, and top, and expanded the image to include the farmer, a cow, three sheep, and a meadow with cattle on the right. A skylark is flying in the upper right. On the horizon, the church of Rijswijk can be seen, where Potter lived at the time.

Despite the meticulously painted details (such as the flies on the coat and a cow pat and frog in the foreground), the bull is not depicted entirely realistically but is possibly based on earlier drawings by Potter of animals of varying ages: the wattle and horns appear to belong to a younger animal than the teeth, and the sturdy shoulders suggest an adult specimen, whereas the hindquarters belong more to a young bovine. The farmer inside the bull served as the model for the character Teun on the Hoogeveen reading board.   History Upon the conquest of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands by the French under Napoleon Bonaparte, the canvas was taken to Paris in 1795 along with other paintings from the collection of Stadtholder William V in The Hague, where it was exhibited in the Louvre. In 1815, it was brought back to the Netherlands. In 1822, the aforementioned collection at the Buitenhof was housed in the Mauritshuis.

 

The bull (2026)

Designer In preparation for the design of the stamp sheet *The Bull*, graphic designer Frank Janse visited the Mauritshuis in The Hague, where the large canvas has hung for over 200 years. During the nearly two-year restoration, museum visitors were allowed to observe the restorers' work through glass. With permission, Janse got even closer. “Right up to the painting, with my nose right on top of it. That way, you can clearly see the fine brushstrokes Potter used to paint the fur of the bull, cow, and sheep. I knew the painting from school textbooks—that’s how famous it is—but I didn’t really know much more. I did know, however, that I have always found it to be a special and fascinating composition. Potter was very young when he created it, only 22. He was obsessed with painting. According to some art historians, that may have contributed to his premature death at the age of 28.”   True to nature Janse spoke with restorers Abbie Vandivere and Jolijn Schilder about the intricacies of their work. “It is a very special painting, especially when you hear how it came about. Originally, Potter had only painted the bull. Later, he attached pieces of canvas to it in order to add other elements. You don't see that when it is hanging in the gallery, but during the restoration it was clearly visible. The bull itself is a separate story. It is actually incorrect; it was composed based on sketches Potter had made outdoors of bulls of various ages. He did, however, paint all the other animals and plants true to nature, exactly as they looked in the 17th century.”   The French twig During the conversation with the restorers, Janse also sought information to potentially use in his design concept. “As a sort of hook to hang the design on. During one of the previous restorations, adjustments were made to the sky that they described at the Mauritshuis as 'the buttocks cloud'. And when the painting hung in the Louvre, about 200 years ago, a French restorer had added a twig with leaves to the oak tree to cover up damage. The 'buttocks' and the French twig have now disappeared, because they do not belong to the historical 17th-century reality. I even looked into whether I could incorporate all that knowledge into the stamp design. But it was far too detailed. Moreover, it is an iconic painting that must be treated with respect. And then you cannot stray too far from what is visible.”   About the designer Frank Janse (1967) graduated as a graphic designer from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam in 2001. Janse specializes in corporate identities, branding, infographics, and communication campaigns. Since late 2022, Frank has been Design Director at VormVijf in The Hague. VormVijf works for government bodies, businesses, and organizations, with the (often organized) citizen as its primary and largest target audience. The agency connects strategy, design, and content with the ambition to innovate, surprise, and create impact. VormVijf works for various ministries, Novex Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands Court of Audit, the House of Representatives, the National Delta Programme, and the National Glass Museum, among others. Commissioned by PostNL, Janse previously designed various stamps: the "Experience Nature" series in the years 2018–2025. In recent years, Janse designed various stamps featuring 24-karat gold, including Snoopy 75 years (2025), Regalia of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2024), and Holland America Line 150 years, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Inauguration of Juliana 1948 (2023). Source: PostNL Press Release (abbreviated).  

<strong> More info: </strong>

PotterViewers – The Bull Under the Microscope at the Mauritshuis:

https://www.mauritshuis.nl/nu-te-doen/tentoonstellingen/potterkijkers Hoogeveen reading board (monkey-nut-mouse-…): https://www.filavaria.nl/Leesplankje.htm Form Five: https://vormvijf.nl/ Previous museum blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/made-in-holland/