Together with his wife Sina, who also painted herself, Hendrik collected French Dutch and Japanese art. The French art consists mostly of works from the French Barbizon School, with works by Daubigny, Millet, Dupré, Roussau, Courbet, Corot, Troyon and Diaz. The Mesdag’s Barbizon collection is the largest of its kind outside of France.
The Dutch art on display belongs to the Hague School, whose artists were heavily influenced by the French Barbizon school. Highlights of this part of the collection include Anton Mauve’s Donkey Stand on the Beach at Scheveningen and Théophile de Bock’s Thunderstorm. The collection of Japanese art is decorative in nature and includes everything from samurai swords to Satsuma earthenware vases.
The Mesdag Collection museum is set up in what was the home of the Mesdag family, which was built in the 1870s by Mesdag and his brother in law Samuel van Houten. The museum consists of the house itself, the painting studio both Hendrik and Sina used, the art they created and collected and their garden. The garden is the prefect place for a picnic or a quiet stroll and has views across the Peace Palace, home to the International Court of Justice.