Brand new Birds at the Mauritshuis - Feb. 16, 2026
New exhibition at the Mauritshuis focuses on Birds. They are a symbol of freedom, beauty, love and spirituality, but are also pets, hunting trophies and a source of food. The exhibition will explore these contrasting visions and reflect on how we relate to nature, via our relationship with these feathered creatures.
No other species has captured our creative and spiritual attention quite like birds. They appear in art, poetry, religion and music, as deities or as messengers of the gods. Our fascination has everything to do with birds’ unique ability to fly. BIRDS – Curated by The Goldfinch & Simon Schama will be not so much a conventional exhibition as a birdhouse full of art, ranging from Ancient Egypt to the catwalks of today’s fashion world.
Birds as inspiration
Carel Fabritius’s Goldfinch is undoubtedly the most famous bird in Dutch 17th-century painting. It wasn’t unique, however, for Fabritius to have chosen a simple bird as the subject of his now iconic painting. Birds have always been an important source of inspiration for artists. Here the Mauritshuis shifts its focus from the Dutch 17th century to the wider world. From Asia, the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and Europe. A treasure trove of birds, with the connecting power of art as the central theme.
