There is something comforting about the familiarity of revisiting a place where you once lived, discovering that seemingly little has changed. The Hague always had a timeless, unhurried feel to it. Here people go about their business without any of the limelight that cities like Amsterdam have to endure. It has been more than six years since we were last here, yet sitting outside Cafe Emma in our old neighbourhood it felt like we’d never been away.
The sense of belonging was amplified by the familiar menu of Dutch classics, but mostly by the fact that the wifi code hadn’t changed so our phones automatically connected. As we gazed out over Regentesseplein, we began to wonder why we ever left. A feeling that grew as we reacquainted ourselves with our former home over a long weekend – even the intermittent terrible weather couldn’t dampen our spirits.
There’s no doubt that The Hague isn’t as spectacular as Amsterdam, as chocolate box cute as Delft or Haarlem, or as edgy as Rotterdam. When we first moved here, people suggested living in Amsterdam and commuting, but this underrated city has been the seat of government since 1588 and mingles history with a unique charm. It’s home to the parliament and the monarchy, and offers an envious quality of life.
The nearby coastline with its long sandy beaches, dunes and nature reserve, plus a vast network of cycle paths, make it a place for exploring on foot and two wheels. But it also comes with some world class museums. On our first day we mixed the two and cycled through the Haagse Bos woods to the outstanding, frequently discomforting, Ron Mueck retrospective at the Voorlinden Museum.
We’ve been to Voorlinden before and loved it. One of the highlights was Mueck’s Couple under an Umbrella, in the museum’s permanent collection. Our reason for returning was to see the largest collection of his work ever assembled in one place. Given that he has only produced 48 artworks over the previous 25 years, to have 15 pieces of Mueck’s work on display was quite an achievement.
The first Mueck artwork I ever saw was at Tate Liverpool, the almost supernatural Ghost. A portrayal of a shy, insecure teenage girl who looks as uncomfortable in her own skin (and swimming costume) as it is possible to imagine. Her discomfort quickly becomes the observer’s discomfort. It’s an incredible piece filled with angst and emotion, the definition his hyperrealism style.
Mueck began by working on the Muppet Show. He has travelled a long and winding road since. A room filled with enormous human skulls called, Mass, and nextdoor one of his newest works, three giant and threatening dogs called En Garde, are impressive but lack the impact of his human subjects. Man in a Boat, Woman with Sticks and Woman with Shopping are all extraordinary in their own right.
Woman with Shopping is an especially moving study of life. A weary mother carrying her baby and supermarket shopping bags seems to have simply stopped, too exhausted to go on. Nearby is the anxiety-ridden Wild Man, a huge sculpture of a distressed-looking naked man on a chair. So real is he, the terror on his face is tangible. That is Mueck’s great skill, these models express more human emotion than actual people.
The culmination of the whole retrospective though is In Bed, another huge sculpture of a woman in bed seemingly lost in her thoughts. Her face is so lifelike it feels like you are intruding upon something incredibly personal. It’s hard not to feel a connection, although when face-to-face with a deeply troubling male head in Dark Place, it’s best not to linger too long. The exhibition was so fascinating, we went round twice.
There are other exhibits in the museum, and we walked around the permanent collection before heading out into the lovely park grounds and sunshine. It didn’t last. On our cycle back it started to rain and didn’t stop for the rest of the day. We decided to cut our losses and headed to Oude Molstraat, where my favourite bar and restaurant in The Hague were waiting for a birthday celebration.
Amazing, very creepy, incredible talent, and I love the dogs
They are a bit creepy, I think because they are so life like.