Passage

by Bert Hermans · Gouda, NL

This painting gives an impression of the Passage in The Hague. Bert Hermans came here often from a young age, and the regularity of the facades, the gleaming floor, and the beautiful roof appealed to him. The Passage in The Hague is the oldest existing shopping center in the Netherlands. It was opened in 1885 by the N.V. 's-Gravenhaagsche Passage Maatschappij (N.V. 's-Gravenhaagsche Passage Company), which was co-founded by the famous Hague resident Petrus Josephus de Sonnaville (1830-1925). He was also one of the founders of the Kurhaus in Scheveningen. The original passage from 1885 runs from Spuistraat to Buitenhof. The oldest section (the Spuistraat and Buitenhof branches) was built based on a design by architects Herman Wesstra Jr. and J.C. van Wijk, which was significantly simplified by Belgian architect Henri Rieck. It was built in an internationally oriented Neo-Renaissance style. In 1929, the third branch to Hofweg was added to the pedestrian area. The Expressionist-style design was by Jos. Duijnstee.