View of The Hague

In the 19th century Rembrandt grew into the national hero of the Netherlands. In Amsterdam a statue was erected in his honour. For its ceremonial unveiling, the Parkzaal (a concert hall) was decorated with huge paintings of towns where he was thought to have worked. This is the sketch for the canvas Rembrandt in The Hague. In the distance one sees the silhouette of the city with the church tower of the Grote or Sint-Jacobskerk. Only later did it emerge that Rembrandt had never actually worked in The Hague.