Singer Laren
An American painter's villa and collection in a village that was a Dutch artists' colony, with a concert hall attached.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
William Henry Singer Jr was the son of a Pittsburgh steel family who chose to paint instead, settled in Laren in 1901 with his wife Anna, and built a house and studio here; after his death in 1943 Anna turned the villa into a museum and added a concert hall, opened in 1956. The collection covers his own work, the Hague School and the Laren painters, and American and European art of the period, with strong holdings of Israels, Mauve and Mesdag. Laren mattered because it was a working artists' colony from the 1870s - Mauve settled here and Van Gogh visited him - and a good deal of Dutch landscape painting came out of these fields. The concert hall gives the museum an unusual double life and the programme is serious. There is a sculpture garden and an extension for temporary exhibitions.
What you actually see
- A painter's villa and collection - Singer's house, studio and holdings, opened 1956.
- Hague School and Laren painters - Israels, Mauve and Mesdag in depth.
- An artists' colony village - Laren, where Mauve settled and Van Gogh visited.
- A concert hall attached - a serious music programme alongside the galleries.
When to go
April to October. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Closed Mondays. Temporary exhibitions can take over the main space and the permanent collection rotates. Laren is affluent and quiet with limited parking. Concert dates change access.
Nearby
Hilversum and the Beeld en Geluid museum are west.
What to pack for Singer Laren
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
