Over the years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has built a collection ranging from 17th century masters (mostly works on loan from the ICN) to contemporary visual art. Work by well-known artists like Van Ruysdael and Israels exist alongside contemporary works by, for example, the Cobra group, Armando, Marc Mulders and others. But the collection also contains work by less well-known Dutch artists and artists who live and work in the Netherlands. All media and techniques are represented in the collection: visual art but also antiques and applied art forms. Furthermore, the collection is continuously expanded and renewed by acquiring contemporary works from numerous movements.
Apart from the acquisitions, occasionally art is commissioned when an embassy or residence is being (re)built.
The collection is acquired, issued and managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague. In this way, the diversity of the collection is regulated and its quality is safe-guarded.
