The Grand Staircase of Paleis Het Loo
£18.50
The Grand Staircase of Paleis Het Loo – Paleis Het Loo, The Netherlands
17 Apr — 30 Aug 2026
The grand staircase
if walls could talk
Anyone visiting Paleis Het Loo cannot miss it: the Grand Staircase. A majestic staircase in the heart of the building. The staircase has 36 steps. Old-fashioned, ‘lazy’ steps, suitable for long skirts and tight suits.
As you walk upstairs, you automatically slow your pace. A painted world unfolds on the walls and ceiling. There is plenty to see: a parrot, vases with flower garlands, and behind a balustrade stand men from the Ottoman Empire who seem to welcome you. You are looking at the second-largest painting in the Netherlands, designed by Daniel Marot.
Royal staircase
The grand staircase was made to impress. The staircase begins with two sections that come together into a whole leading to the great hall of King-Stadholder William III. This is the place where William III holds his audiences. The imposing mural is painted entirely around the staircase and must have been imposing and impressive to visitors of William III.
Restoration at Het Loo Palace
This painting is in danger of being damaged by a layer of varnish that is becoming increasingly difficult to remove. Restoration, in which the varnish layer will be replaced, will begin during the exhibition.
At the start of a new restoration, the exhibition The Grand Staircase takes you through its history from the 17th century to the present day. Discover all the secrets of the Grand Staircase and follow the restoration closely.
If the walls of this artwork could talk…
…What do they say, then, about the more than 300 years of history they have seen? Who has walked the stairs? What has happened to them over the centuries?
The artwork tells a story that takes us from the Veluwe to French Versailles and beyond, to Istanbul, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire. It shows how the House of Orange was culturally and politically connected to other royal houses. After all, this is not the only mural of its kind.
In this exhibition at Paleis Het Loo, you embark on a journey through time: you meet the people who gave meaning to the staircase, the symbols that quietly tell a story, and the walls that have witnessed all sorts of things.
History of the Grand Staircase
The original mural was created between 1690 and 1694, commissioned by King-Stadholder William III, the builder of Het Loo Palace. The French interior architect Daniel Marot created the design, which was executed by court painter Robert Duval in oil paint on a plaster layer.
On view from April 17 to August 30.
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