Under the spell of the Middle Ages in Utrecht

Let yourself be carried away by sparkling colors, shimmering gold paint, and meticulously painted scenes. This winter, enjoy rare medieval masterpieces from three absolute top collections: De Haar Castle, Huis Bergh Castle, and Museum Catharijneconvent. This art is on display together for the first time at Museum Catharijneconvent until January 26, 2025. So, if you find medieval art interesting, this exhibition is a must-see!

Catharijneconvent Museum

Museum Catharijneconvent is a national museum of religious art in Utrecht. The museum is housed in the former Catharijneconvent monastery, which was presumably dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria as early as the 12th century. The monastery building is attached to St Catherine's Cathedral. The museum originates from various collections. The museum's permanent collection is permanently accessible. Furthermore, temporary exhibitions take place on a regular basis. With the opening of an exhibition on Luther at the Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht in 2017, as part of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation (1517–2017), a Reformation stamp is being released. The stamp is an initiative of the philatelist association Gabriël, which boasts over one hundred members interested in stamps themed around the Bible and Christianity. The sheet of three stamps is being printed in two thousand copies and made available by the Dutch PostNL, among others. Emeritus Reverend Anton Schipper from Rotterdam, an active member of the association, expects great interest in the stamp from both within the Netherlands and abroad. It will therefore quickly prove to be an object for collectors. Schipper took the initiative for the stamp together with Joke van Strien and designer Frans Voogt. According to him, it is striking that in many countries, including Catholic ones such as Lithuania, Belgium, and Vatican City, a Reformation stamp has been issued or announced. This was not to be expected in the Netherlands, as religious imagery is avoided on stamps. Therefore, the association took the initiative itself. PostNL proved willing to make these available, so that the stamp is available everywhere. Two of the three designed stamps feature a part of the painting by Jan Barentsz. Muyckens from 1643, in which he depicts a dream of Elector Frederick the Wise. It shows the church reformer Martin Luther writing the 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Chapel in Wittenberg with a quill pen. The painting is in the possession of Museum Catharijneconvent. The third stamp shows a glass bowl that Luther gave to his friend Justus Jonas.  

House Mountain

Huis Bergh is a castle and museum in the town of 's-Heerenberg in the municipality of Montferland, in the Dutch province of Gelderland. Huis Bergh was the ancestral seat of the Counts of Bergh. The Land van den Bergh was a bannery before 1486 and, from 1486 onwards, the (imperial) county of Bergh. Huis Bergh is the largest moated castle in the Netherlands. The castle's construction history dates back to the year 1250. Parts of the house date from the 14th, 15th, and 17th centuries. In the early stages of the Eighty Years' War, Huis Bergh suffered greatly from the violence of war. In 1735, it burned down completely, after which it was rebuilt by Gerrit Ravenschot from Zutphen until 1746. During the Dutch Mission between 1799 and 1842, a seminary was established in Huis Bergh. In 1912, the castle and all associated properties came into the ownership of Jan Herman van Heek, an industrialist from Enschede, with the aim of preserving it as a monument. In 1939, a large part of the house was destroyed by fire for the second time. Thanks to the help of the local population, much of the inventory could be saved. Reconstruction began in the same year and was completed as early as the autumn of 1941. In 1946, Van Heek placed Huis Bergh under the Foundation for the Preservation of the Assets and Rights of Huis Bergh. Huis Bergh became the permanent residence of the Van Heek family, and he housed his art collection there, including the FW Mengelberg collection, which he had acquired in 1919, and many early Italian works.  

Castle the hair

De Haar Castle is a monumental castle. It is the largest castle in the Netherlands. It was built starting in 1892 on the ruins of the old castle in a Neo-Gothic style. De Haar consists of extensive grounds which, in addition to the main building, include accompanying gardens and buildings such as a chapel. The castle can be visited as a museum with a guided tour.

For the reconstruction of the castle, the Baron, probably on the advice of Victor de Stuers, founder of monument conservation in the Netherlands, commissioned the famous architect Pierre Cuypers. Their intention was for it to acquire the style and allure of a French medieval castle. Working closely with his son Joseph Cuypers, he spent twenty years on this project (from 1892 to 1912). The 'provisional inauguration' took place on July 3, 1893. By then, the reconstruction had progressed to the point that flags were flying from the spires and several rooms could be shown to the client in their finished state. Throughout the building, there are references to the history of the Van Zuylen family, particularly in the entrance hall. After 10 years of restoration work, Kasteel de Haar has been restored to its former glory. To commemorate this, this postcard set has been published featuring images of the castle and its rich interior. In 2010, Kasteel de Haar was published (44 cents) as part of the omnibus 'Kastelen in Nederland'.  

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Under the spell of the Middle Ages, through January 26, 2025 in Utrecht: https://www.catharijneconvent.nl/tentoonstellingen/in-de-ban-van-de-middeleeuwen/ De Haar Castle: https://www.kasteeldehaar.nl/ House Bergh: https://www.huisbergh.nl/ Previous museum blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/made-in-holland/