On Thursday, April 14, 2022, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands officially opened the new exhibit, Moraalmeesters: Wijze lessen van het Stadspaleis (Moral Masters: Wise lessons from the City Palace), at the Koninklijk Paleis in Amsterdam.

According to RVD the exhibit, Moraalmeesters: Wijze lessen van het Stadspaleis:

“…brings paintings to life in animations and the galleries of the palace featuring interviews reflecting on the moral lessons taught by each of the paintings.

The Koninklijk Paleis was built in 1648 as the City Hall of Amsterdam. The halls were originally the domain of mayors, councilors and judges. In their offices, were paintings by master artists such as Ferdinand Bol, Govert Flink and Jacob de Wit. Each of the paintings were hung above [various] mantelpieces. These mantelpieces, with depictions of Bible stories and scenes from Greek and Roman antiquity, provided a wise lesson on how a civil servant should behave.

Moraalmeesters: Wijze lessen van het Stadspaleis connects to various citizenship themes and is the starting point for a series of lessons about citizenship.

The exhibition brings paintings to life in animations and the galleries of the palace feature interviews reflecting on the moral lessons taught by the paintings.”

During today’s opening, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander toured the exhibit as well as watched a performance by the theatre group, The Guests. His Majesty also heard a reading by the poet Gershwin Bonevacia.

Moraalmeesters: Wijze lessen van het Stadspaleis will be open to the public beginning on April 16 to September 4, 2022. For more information about the exhibition please click here.

Please click here to view a photo gallery.

Photos courtesy of the Koninklijk Paleis/J.van der Meyde