The Muurhuizen of Amersfoort
Museum Flehite occupies three historic houses built into the city wall during the Late Middle Ages. These structures, known as Muurhuizen, sit in the heart of Amersfoort, Netherlands. The architecture reflects the urban development of the Eemland region, with the buildings integrated directly into the defensive fortifications. A large-scale model of 17th-century Amersfoort provides a sense of the city's historical scale within these walls.
The museum functions as a repository for the history of Amersfoort and the surrounding area. Its permanent collection addresses the local experience during wartime and the evolution of the city's landscape. The physical space is defined by its location on a canal and its connection to the medieval street plan of the Breestraat.
The Permanent Collection
The holdings include works that document both the domestic and social history of the region. The collection is organized around the material and visual culture of Amersfoort and Eemland. Notable items and paintings include:
- Portrait of a Man, 1645 - Gerard ter Borch
- Lenaart Nicasiusz, 1651 - Jacob van Campen
- Justice, 1837 - Jacob de Wit
- Park Randenbroek, 1903 - Hendrik Jan Wolter
- Portrait of Hendrik Jan Wolter (1873-1952), 1920 - Hendrik Jan Wolter
- Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, 1617 - Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt
- View of the Park of Villa Doria Pamphili in Rome, 1655 - Matthias Withoos
- Park View in Rome, 1655 - Matthias Withoos
- The Hawk, Amersfoort, 1910 - Louis Stracké
- Portrait of Johan Thiens (....-1665), 1662 - Pieter Nason
- Forest Still Life, 1700 - Alida Withoos
- Italian Landscape near Rome, 1656 - Matthias Withoos
- Playing Children, 1862 - F. De Canta
- Guests of the Sint-Pieters- and Bloklandsgasthuis, 1899 - Hendrik Jan Wolter
- Peace, 1919 - Gustave De Smet
- Undergrowth with Landscape and Hunting Still Life, 1670 - Matthias Withoos
- Still life with a bowl of fruit surrounded by flowers, shells, fruit, insects and a parrot, 1633 - Balthasar van der Ast
- Wall Houses, Amersfoort, 1910 - Louis Stracké
- A Youth Taking Leave of His Beloved and Parents, 1860 - Robert van Eijsden
- Hendrik Jan Wolter in studio at Leusden, 1900 - Hendrik Jan Wolter
- Zuidsingel and Kamperbinnenpoort in Amersfoort, 1905 - Hendrik Jan Wolter
- Interior Bakery Van Zalingen, 1920 - Hendrik Jan Wolter
- Ven to Oisterwijk, 1919 - Jo Bezaan
- Portrait Johanna Louiza Lorie (1846-1928), 1910 - Hendrik Jan Wolter
- Adoration of the kings with portraits of Jacob Aertsz. van Schayck (....-1530) and his family, 1530 - Pseudo-Bles
- Portrait of Maria van Utrecht (?-1629), 1894 - Anton Fock
- Chicken Yard - Adriaen Coorte
- Portrait of Willemina Sara Hondorff Block (1791-1873), 1852 - Jan Braet von Überfeldt
- Portrait of a lady in a landscape, possibly Barbara Thiens, 1665 - Pieter Nason
- Portrait of Christina van Eeden (1812-1871), 1840 - Leonard de Koningh
Exhibition and Local Context
The museum hosts rotating exhibitions that focus on specific themes, such as the "Kijk Amersfoort!" series, which examines the city through various artistic styles. Other exhibitions, like "Eye Witness to the War," utilize personal accounts to detail the city's experience during World War II. The museum's programming often connects contemporary photography and art with the historical setting of the Muurhuizen.
The institution maintains a focus on the local landscape and its representation. This is evident in the presence of works by Hendrik Jan Wolter and Matthias Withoos, whose paintings often depict the natural and built environments of the Netherlands and Italy. The collection serves as a record of how the inhabitants of Amersfoort have perceived their surroundings over several centuries.