Museum Henriette Polak | Musea Zutphen

Museum Henriette Polak is the museum for contemporary classical painting and sculpting in the Netherlands. Since its opening in 1975, Museum Henriette Polak has shown the vitality, strength and diversity of figurative art in which craftsmanship and inspiration come together.

The collection

Meet patron Henriette Polak and the artists from the core collection. In 1964, Henriette Polak-Schwarz became friends with Joop Sjollema, who convinced her of the need to set up a museum for Dutch figurative art, rooted in the academic tradition. The initiative was against the spirit of the times because abstract and conceptual art was in the museological spotlight at the time.

Enjoy the museum’s masterpieces by Kees Verwey, Charlotte van Pallandt, Wim Oepts, Arie Schippers, Wendelien Schönfeld and others. Come face to face with the many artist portraits the museum is famous for and have a look in The Atelier. Discover a representative selection from the museum’s extensive collection in Museum Henriette Polak’s Digital Depot. Compose your own exhibition and display the selected works on the museum walls.

Exhibitions

In addition to the permanent collection, Museum Henriette Polak also exhibits the work and development of contemporary artists. In doing so, the museum always seeks a confrontation with the principles of its founders.  For the latest exhibitions, visit www.museazutphen.nl

The temporary exhibitions include a range of activities consisting of workshops, lectures and guided tours.

Zutphen Museums offer more

Together with the City Museum of Zutphen, Museum Henriette Polak is housed in the 17th-century city palace, the Hof van Heeckeren. The beautiful city palace is an attraction in its own right. Just the entrance is worth the visit: the Schelpenpoort (Shell Gate) from 1697, decorated with melted glass, sintered stone and exotic shells. The Schelpenpoort leads to the museum garden. On the right is the entrance to the Zutphen Museums, on the left is the museum cafe.

The Zutphen Museums are happy to offer visitors extra service. For example, there are free audio tours available, and the museum offers free Wi-Fi. There are free treasure hunts available for children to teach them about both museums and the core collections in a playful way.

Enjoy shopping in the museum store or enjoy a great cup of coffee or a delicious lunch in the museum cafe or, in the summer, on the terrace in the garden.

Zutphen Museums

Museum Henriette Polak is part of the Zutphen Museums | City Museum of Zutphen & Museum Henriette Polak. History, cultural history, visual arts and current affairs come together here in a unique way. Make sure to take a look at the page of the City Museum of Zutphen, the cultural history museum that tells the story of Zutphen.