Original 1774 gallery

The collection of paintings of the gallery had been established by previous stadtholders of the Netherlands, members of the House of Orange-Nassau. Prince William V inherited the family collection when he was just four years old, after his father died. At that time the paintings were spread out over a number of his residences. The prince took up a special interest in paintings and made his first buy when he was fifteen years old. Sometimes he would acquire an entire collection, such as the Govert van Slingelandt collection in 1768. In 1763 he instructed his court painter Tethart Haag to create an inventory of his extensive collection. The latter also served as curator to the collection of paintings owned by the stadtholder and was his chief adviser in the purchase of paintings. The prince aspired to be seen as an equal to the great monarchs of Europe and the possession of a great art collection was, at that time, considered to be an element typical of such a status. He decided to bring his collection together in one location, so he could present it to his guests. To that end he bought two adjacent houses near his residence in The Hague, where he planned for the construction of an art gallery for his collection. During this process Tethart Haag served as his main advisor. The gallery was consequently built in 1773–1774, according to the wishes of the prince and under the direction of Tethart Haag. In 1774 the gallery opened, and in addition to the guests of the prince, it became the first museum in the Netherlands where the general public was allowed to visit. The prince appointed Tethart Haag as the first director of the art gallery-museum. In 1795 the collection was abducted by the French and housed in the Louvre as war booty. Under a later treaty many paintings were recovered in 1815, but many were not, such as the portrait of William III of Orange, now in the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.

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  The Young Bull was displayed in the Louvre for 20 years among Raphaels and Titians that were taken from Italy as war booty
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  The Adoration of the Magi by Salomon Koninck, was the first painting William V, Prince of Orange, added to the existing collection
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  Portrait of William III of Orange by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, a war booty taken to France 1795, never to be returned.

Some of the more notable works that were abducted to France and came back were:

More information image, title ...

image	title	painter	date	Mauritshuis #ID
	Portrait of Robert Cheeseman	Hans Holbein	1533	276
	The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man	Peter Paul Rubens Jan Brueghel the Elder	1617	253
	Portrait of Anna Wake (1605-1669)	Anthony van Dyck	1628	240
	Appelles painting Campaspe	Willem van Haecht	1630	266
	Simeon's song of praise	Rembrandt	1631	145
	Susanna	Rembrandt	1636	147
	The feast of the gods at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis	Abraham Bloemaert	1638	17
	Choir of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft with the tomb of William the Silent	Gerard Houckgeest	1651	57
	Allegorical portrait of the Steyn family as scene of Diogenes	Caesar van Everdingen	1652	39
	The young mother	Gerrit Dou	1658	32
	Ships on a Calm Sea	Willem van de Velde the Younger	1658	200
	Peasants in an inn	Adriaen van Ostade	1662	128
	A Woman Writing Music	Gabriël Metsu	1663	94
	Flower Still life with a watch	Willem van Aelst	1663	2
	Beach scene	Adriaen van de Velde	1665	198
	Self-portrait 1669	Rembrandt	1669	840

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