The 5th lecture of the season will be given by Jonathan Conlin on ‘Oil and Old Masters: Calouste Gulbenkian as Collector and Oil Titan’ in the Atrium (Atrium of Church of Our Saviour Pastoral Centre, Helenastraat 8, 2595 HA The Hague) on Tuesday 10th February 2026 at 20.00 hours.
The Gulbenkian Museum is Lisbon’s finest museum, yet the man behind this collection, Calouste Gulbenkian (1869-1955) known as “Mr Five Per Cent” on account of his personal holding of five per cent of Middle East oil production, was an enigmatic and publicity-shy figure, about whom little was known. This talk by the author of the definitive biography of Gulbenkian weaves together the history of a great European collection (featuring Rembrandts bought from The Hermitage, as well as Lalique glass, carpets, Iznik ware, and Renaissance paintings) with that of the emergence of the modern oil industry – particularly Royal Dutch-Shell.
The lecturer will be present in the Atrium. For those unable to be present at the Atrium, this lecture will also be streamed via a Zoom to those who registered. The cost for Guests (i.e. non-Members) is EUR 15.
You are requested to sign up for the lecture beforehand, also if you are coming to join us in person at the Atrium, by clicking on the google forms link at the ‘How to book’ section or visiting the event on our WEB page (https://theartssociety.org/the-hague).
HOW TO BOOK THIS EVENT
Registration is open and will close at midnight 08 FEB 26.
Dr Jonathan Conlin is a cultural historian of modern Britain and Professor of Modern History at the University of Southampton. His books include Tales of Two Cities(2014), a comparative history of Paris and London, and biographies of Adam Smith and the Anglo-Armenian oil baron Calouste Gulbenkian. Born in New York, he studied History and Modern Languages at Oxford, subsequently moving to the Courtauld Institute and Cambridge for his MA and PhD. In 2023 he was commissioned by the National Gallery to write its bicentenary history. All his talks draw on his own archival research, allowing him to give audiences insights into how historians approach different kinds of evidence, the gaps and dead-ends as well as the surprise discoveries.
International recognition for the work of The Hague wedding photographer
A bride floats through the air, lifted by cheering guests while string lights sparkle above. The image symbolises exactly what wedding photographer Paco van Leeuwen loves to capture most: real moments, pure emotion, and a touch of humor. That approach earned him a 4th place ranking at the 2025 International Masters of Wedding Photography competition for photographers in the Benelux this year.
Van Leeuwen finished among former winners and internationally renowned photographers. In total, 12 of his photographs were awarded within a single year – an exceptional achievement in wedding photography.
This year’s competition received 12,154 submissions from 450 photographers, of which only 3.3% received an award.
Based in The Hague, Van Leeuwen photographs weddings both nationally and internationally. His style is timeless and story-driven, leaving room for spontaneity and unexpected moments. Thanks to his calm and almost invisible presence, couples quickly feel at ease – something he considers essential.
“You can’t direct emotion,” says Van Leeuwen. “You have to sense it coming, be present when the unique moment unfolds, and press the shutter at exactly the right time. The trust couples place in me remains the greatest compliment.”
Alongside his gratitude toward couples, Van Leeuwen also emphasises the strength of the photography community. “The level at which photographers continue to challenge and inspire one another elevates not only our work, but wedding photography as a whole to an international standard.”
A new short fiction film set in The Hague is preparing to go into production at the end of February, and the filmmakers are putting out an urgent call for local support. Alongside a crowdfunding launch, the team is seeking cast and crew to help bring the project to life.
Carp Diem is a warm, humorous and emotionally grounded short film exploring motherhood, migration and the fear that if you do not act now, something precious may be lost forever. The story centres on a Slovak mother raising her Dutch-born daughter in The Hague, determined to pass on a Christmas Eve tradition from her own childhood. The challenge is unexpected but very real: finding a live carp in the Netherlands on Christmas Eve.
What begins as a practical problem becomes a deeper reflection on identity, belonging and how families hold on to cultural roots while building a life elsewhere. For many people living abroad, traditions are more than habits. They can be acts of love, and sometimes acts of stubbornness, offering a tangible connection to people, places and memories that are no longer close by. The film captures this tension with honesty, warmth and gentle humour.
Carp Diem is being directed and produced by Hague-based filmmaker Veronika Marsland and will be shot entirely in and around The Hague over two shoot days at the end of February. The city itself plays an important role in the story. With its internationally rooted communities and multicultural families, The Hague provides a natural and authentic setting for a film about life lived between cultures.
As production approaches, the team is actively seeking cast and crew based in or near The Hague. English-speaking roles are available for a mother, father and child, as well as a fish shopkeeper and a fisherman. There is also a call for crew members, including a director of photography, sound recordist, gaffer and production assistant.
A crowdfunding campaign has launched to help cover essential production costs and support the film’s journey to the international film festival circuit. The campaign also aims to spotlight creative storytelling taking place within The Hague’s international community and to give supporters a direct role in bringing a locally made film to life.
Interested cast, crew and supporters are encouraged to get involved soon, as filming is scheduled for the end of February.
During Highlight Festival 2026 (11–14 February), you’ll meet visionary artists and makers who push the boundaries of art and technology.
From 11 to 14 February 2026, Delft once again becomes a city full of art and technology. This year’s festival theme is Robo-futures, exploring the relationship between humans and machines.
What happens when a robot learns to draw autonomously? What does interaction with a robot based on movement feel like? Can robotics help people with spinal cord injuries walk again? And what do intimacy and touch mean when you connect with another person through a robotic sculpture?
Highlight Delft Festival 2026 presents works by renowned artists and makers such as Jorrit Paaijmans, Rocío Berenguer, Hrvoje Hiršl, Animaspace (Angelina Kozhevnikova), Tomáš Libertíny, and many others.
Get to know some of the makers, buy your tickets and explore the full programme below:
A married couple in bed: one asleep, the other awake and thinking—and as she thinks, her imagination runs wild. This daring, visceral new opera accessibly retells one of the most monumental novels in the English language through the consciousness of women and nonbinary characters still finding their voices 100 years after its publication.
The narrative of Homer’s Odyssey— as retold through James Joyce’s earthy modernist portrayal of a single day in Dublin, Ulysses—is infused into the interior lives of interconnected characters rocked by grief.
Nighttown presents the raucous “Circe” chapter of Joyce’s book through the perspective of opera singer Molly Bloom’s (Joyce’s “Penelope” character) famous closing soliloquy.
The opera portrays the events of this episode as Molly’s own odyssey—rife with contemporary angles and themes that resonate strongly in our present world—launching from dreamy musings in bed next to her sleeping husband into a wild world of her own imagination.
Through dramatic forays into sexuality, sedition, collision, confrontation, transgression, and ultimately, profound loss, Nighttown shows us how to lose, and then once again find, a sense of home—not where, but who, that is.
A collaboration with the Classical Department of the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, the production will be conducted by Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg and directed by Robert Chevara, who returns to the DNOA for a third time. His previous productions with us include the unforgettable Dutch premiere of Dominick Argento’s “Postcard from Morocco” (2022).
The production opens at Amare, The Hague, on Tuesday, 03. February 2026 (19:30), with further performances on Wednesday, 04. February 2026 (19:30), Friday, 06. February 2026 (19:30), and Saturday, 07. February 2026 (14:15).
What makes The Bull so special is the fact that Potter painted something as ordinary as a bull on such a grand scale – which had never been done before. And despite this large size, he paid great attention to the smallest details, such as the lark in the sky, the sunshine on the meadow, the flies on the bull’s back and the cow’s whiskers. This made the piece the epitome of Dutch naturalistic painting.
After a year and a half of restoration, the largest painting in the Mauritshuis collection, Paulus Potter’s The Bull (1647), was ready for its unveiling. Since March 2024, conservators Abbie Vandivere and Jolijn Schilder have been intensively engaged in scientific research and treatment, from varnish removal to retouching damage. This led to exciting discoveries, but also interesting questions and challenging dilemmas. The goal of the restoration was to return as closely as possible to Potter’s original intention. This proved to be a true journey through time, from alterations made by Potter himself to centuries-old overpainting, damage, and historical additions made by conservators. For the first time in centuries, Potter’s original sky is visible again.
When asked about the greatest challenges, restorers Abbie and Jolijn, cited the following: technically removing later overpainting, as some of this overpainting was already two centuries old and difficult to separate from Potter’s paint. This required extreme care. Ethical dilemmas frequently arose: how far could retouching (restoring or retouching damaged or lost areas of the painting) be carried out without affecting Potter’s work? Furthermore, Potter used pigments in the paint that have faded after 380 years, gradually revealing the underlying layers. During the restoration, each area was assessed to determine whether this “disrupted” the overall image. In the former case, (reversible) “toning” (lightly repainting) was the solution, while in the latter case, the image was left as it is.
Every Friday afternoon at 14:00, the restorers will meet at the Golden Room in the museum for an exclusive Q&A session. Feel free to ask them anything about the art restoration process: Are they ever nervous? What is the most fun thing to do during restoration? And how does it actually work? For more information:
Potter’s bull will remain on display in the publicly accessible restoration studio for another month, and will be back on display in its usual spot in the “Potter Hall” starting at the end of February 2026.
Last year marked the 400th anniversary of Paulus Potter’s birth. January 17, 2026, marks the 372nd anniversary of his death.
Images: Sherika Rooplal-Clappers and Kunstmuseum
Sherika Rooplal-Clappers is a contributing writer for The Hague Online, covering culture, lifestyle, and local events. With a passion for storytelling and international perspectives, she highlights the people, places, and experiences that make The Hague a dynamic city.
