Frans Hals Museum - Hal (until March 29, 2018: ''De Hallen Haarlem'') is one of the two locations of the

Frans Hals Museum The Frans Hals Museum (formerly ''Stedelijk Museum van Haarlem'') is a museum in the North Holland city of Haarlem, the Netherlands, founded in 1862, known as the Art Museum of Haarlem. Its collection is based on the city's own rich collection, b ...

, located on the Grote Markt,

Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English language, English) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the Provinces of the Nether ...

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, where modern and contemporary art is on display in alternating presentations. The emphasis is on contemporary photograph and video presentations, with the focus on Man and society. The museum consists of three different buildings, the Vleeshal (Flesher's hall) on the east side and the Verweyhal (named for Kees Verwey) on the west side are two large "halls" sandwiching the small entrance building. All three buildings are National Heritage sites today.

Rijksmonument A (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands had 61,822 l ...

report

De Vleeshal building

The Vleeshal was built in the years 1602 to 1605 and was originally a ‘meat hall’ where butchers sold their goods. The heads of bulls and rams on the façades are reminders of the original function of the building. It is an example of Dutch Renaissance architecture, with Renaissance ornaments being applied on a basic Gothic structure (floor plan and outer walls). The Renaissance forms include pilasters, rustication, Tuscan (interior) pillars, scrollwork (above the cellar entrances) and obelisks. Sample prints by

Hans Vredeman de Vries Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527 – 1607) was a Dutch Renaissance architect, painter, and engineer. Vredeman de Vries is known for his publication in 1583 on garden design and his books with many examples on ornaments (1565) and perspective (1604 ...

from Antwerp provided a source of inspiration for this. De Vleeshal was built by

Lieven de Key Lieven de Key (1560 – 17 July 1627) was a Flemish renaissance architect who after working in his native Flanders moved to work in the Dutch Republic. He is mostly known today for his works in Haarlem. His style is described by Simon Schama as M ...

, the town architect, commissioned by the city government, which judging by the finished building had a substantial treasury at the time. It remained a meat hall all the way into the 19th century. The building later fulfilled a totally different function; from 1840 to 1885 it served as a storehouse for a garrison quartered in Haarlem. Later the building served as a Public Records Office, and after that as a depot for the municipal library. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the building was occupied by the Distribution Service. After World War II, the Mayor and Aldermen decided that the building should be repurposed as an exhibition hall, with the first exhibitions held in 1950. De Hallen Haarlem organizes alternating exhibitions of contemporary art on two floors, showcasing both contemporary and modern art throughout the summer. The Archeological Museum is located in the cellar of the building. File:Archeologisch Museum Haarlem.jpg, The cellar of the Vleeshal is in use by the

Archeologisch Museum Haarlem The Archeologisch Museum Haarlem is a museum in the cellar of the Vleeshal on the Grote Markt in Haarlem, the Netherlands, dedicated to promoting interest and conserving the archeological heritage of Kennemerland. History The museum was opened i ...

. Visitors with a handicap can use an elevator that can be reached through the museum's entrance. File:Gevel - Haarlem - 20097756 - RCE.jpg, The area in front of the museum was a parking lot for visitors and employees before the Verweyhal was added the gallery in 1992.

Entrance building

The little ‘fish house’ in between the two main halls was once the home of the servant of the fish market across the square and serves as the entrance for Frans Hals Museum - Hal today.

Verweyhal

The Verweyhal is a former society meeting hall next to the main entrance on the corner of the Grote Markt and the

Grote Houtstraat The Grote Houtstraat is a shopping street in Haarlem that connects the Grote Markt, Haarlem, Grote Markt to the Houtplein in the direction of the Haarlemmerhout woods. History The street runs along one of two old parallel roads running through the ...

, where the former main entrance to it is located. The Verweyhal was built in the 19th century as a home for the Haarlem gentlemen's society Trou moet Blycken. The building is in the Eclectic style and also contains some art deco features in the interior though it has been renovated beyond recognition since 1880. It became a modern art exhibition hall in 1992 when the Kees Verwey Foundation renovated it and gave the artist's oeuvre to the

References

External links

Frans Hals Museum website
{{coord, 52, 22, 51, N, 4, 38, 10, E, display=title, region:NL_type:landmark_source:nlwiki Art museums and galleries in the Netherlands Frans Hals Museum Rijksmonuments in Haarlem Museums in Haarlem Renaissance architecture in the Netherlands