Welcome to the happiest museum in the Netherlands!
Visiting the museum in October? Please book a time slot in advance. Reservations are only required during the month of October. From November onwards, you can visit the museum without a reservation again.
Look. Experience. Enjoy.
Discover a museum where people laugh out loud, where complete strangers strike up conversations in front of a painting, and where children enjoy art just as much as adults. That’s unique. That’s the Marius van Dokkum Museum.
Meet Marius
Marius van Dokkum knew from an early age that he wanted to become a painter . Realism was not in fashion at art school, but he continued to follow his own path.
In his work, he holds up a gentle, humorous mirror to us, full of recognition and humanity.
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Anatomische les (The Anatomy Lesson)
Anatomische les (The Anatomy Lesson) from 2014 is Marius’ playful take on Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp. Except here, the people have been replaced by… pears.
Pears often appear in Marius’ work. Their quirky shapes remind him of the pears from his parents-in-law’s orchard, and he sees all kinds of human characteristics in them. With a little imagination, their rounded forms soon turn into well-fed people with big bellies. In this way, Marius gives a famous scene from art history his own humorous twist.
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Zak met pruimen (Bag of Plums)
In Zak met pruimen (Bag of Plums), Marius van Dokkum’s attention to colour, light and texture is clearly visible. Fruit is a recurring subject in his still lifes, in which he aims to capture everyday objects as realistically as possible.
For his still lifes, Marius was inspired by artists such as Henk Helmantel and the seventeenth-century masters. By carefully observing reality and painting what he saw, he developed his technique. In something as simple as a bag of plums, light, shadow, form and colour become the true subject.
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Beste Reizigers (Dear Travellers)
At 3.5 by 2.5 metres, Beste Reizigers (Dear Travellers) is the largest painting Marius van Dokkum has ever created. From 2018 to 2022, he worked on it one day a week in his studio at the old museum, where visitors could watch the painting gradually take shape.
Inspired by Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, Marius painted a contemporary scene on a busy railway platform. Almost all the travellers are completely absorbed in their mobile phones. Only an older couple and a small child still seek genuine contact with those around them. A recognisable image of our times, full of humour and surprising details that invite a closer look.
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Mannenhuishouding (A Man’s Household)
Mannenhuishouding (A Man’s Household) from 2006 depicts a man completely absorbed in his own world. With his moped in the living room, cats and clutter all around him and a pot of beans on the stove, he cares little about what others think of him. Meanwhile, curious women from next door peer in through the window.
For this tragicomic scene, Marius was inspired by people who live life entirely on their own terms, as well as by the lively domestic scenes of Jan Steen. He painted many of the objects from real-life examples. Even the moped belongs to Marius himself and can be seen at the museum.
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Dansje in de kerk (A Dance in the Church)
Dansje in de kerk (A Dance in the Church) from 2005 is one of the most popular paintings among visitors and Marius’ own favourite work. Interestingly, it is a self-portrait: Marius recognises himself in the girl who dances spontaneously and freely through the church.
The painting was created after Marius received criticism for his contemporary illustrations of the Christmas story. By placing the dancing girl opposite the stern-looking churchgoers, Marius portrays two ways of experiencing faith: strict and restrained, or free and light-hearted. A personal painting with a deeper meaning in which many people recognise themselves.
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Turbo
Turbo from 2018 has become one of Marius van Dokkum’s best-known paintings. An older woman races past on her e-bike, with a determined expression, a striking hand gesture and, of course, her compression stockings. A familiar scene that Marius exaggerates just enough to make us smile.
But behind the humour lies a more serious message. The barren landscape refers to climate change, while the woman speeds ahead without looking around her. For Marius, this symbolises the way people treat the environment. Typical Marius: telling the truth with a smile.
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Meegaan met je tijd (Keeping Up with the Times)
Meegaan met je tijd (Keeping Up with the Times)
Meegaan met je tijd (Keeping Up with the Times) is one of Marius van Dokkum’s best-known paintings. Two older people are trying to find their way in the world of modern technology. It is a familiar scene in which an everyday struggle is captured with plenty of humour.
Marius was inspired by his own parents-in-law when creating the painting. At the same time, the situation is relatable to many people: almost everyone knows someone who does not always find it easy to ‘keep up with the times’. Typical Marius, holding up a humorous mirror to the viewer with his keen eye for detail and a generous dose of humour.
