A journey through the kitchen of Hofwijck

From 9 December 2023 until 6 October 2024

Justus de Gelder, Two young women in a kitchen, 1671. Oil on canvas, loan from private collection through Hoogsteder Museum Foundation.

The exhibition Dining with Huygens  is now on view in the Huygensmuseum in Voorburg from 9 December. Paintings, letters, poems, cookeries, gardening books, everyday objects and archaeological finds from the 17th century illuminate the secrets of the Hofwijck country estate and its kitchen.

Pronkzaal, library and kitchen

Enter the Pronkzaal, the stateroom where guests were received 400 years ago by Constantijn and Christiaan Huygens. This is where the hot lunch was served, music was played, and recitations were made. A monumental table brings the culinary and historical setting of Hofwijck to life. Paintings, loaned specifically for this exhibition from the Hoogsteder Museum Foundation, show the vibrant life of such parties, while still lifes show the wealth of the land's produce.

Right next to the stateroom, there is a modest library with a special collection of books, including Den Nederlandtsen Hovenier (1669) by Jan van der Groen. Together with De Verstandige Kock of Sorghvuldige Huyshoudster (1667), these books provide insight into the culinary world of the 17th century. Recipes for many dishes, from preparing meat and fish to raw salads, testify to the food culture at Hofwijck. The exhibition also includes Constantijn Huygens' collection of poems Koren-bloemen from 1658. In the poem Hofwijck, he describes a walk through the extensive garden and how his guests end up in the kitchen, where they are served all kinds of tasty meals!

The authentic 17th-century kitchen is located in the basement of Hofwijck, where the original white faience tiles can still be seen, and everything else exudes the atmosphere of the owners' wealthy existence. Here, everyday utensils and archaeological finds tell the story of cooking, baking, and roasting over an open fire. Some bottles were ‘fished’ from the canal of Hofwijck in the 20th century, and it is possible that they were still used by Constantijn or Christiaan. At last, in order to keep all the food fresh and so that cold drinks could be enjoyed all summer long, Hofwijck had an ice cellar adjacent to the kitchen.

Guest curator

Alexandra van Dongen

The exhibition is made possible with the support of

Hoogsteder Museum Stichting, Mondriaanfonds, Cultuur & Co

Loans granted from

Hoogsteder Museum Stichting Den Haag, Archeologische Werkgroep Leidschendam-Voorburg