Painting of Amsterdam orphan girls returns to location where it was painted after 137 years

The Amsterdam Museum has acquired a monumental painting by renowned artist Thérèse Schwartze titled Musicerende Amsterdamse Burgerweesmeisjes. Created in 1889, the artwork depicts seven girls from the Amsterdam Burgerweeshuis wearing their traditional uniforms. The piece spent over a century abroad, primarily in the collection of the Newark Museum of Art in the United States, before being purchased by an art dealer and eventually secured by the Amsterdam Museum for 200,000 euros following a 50,000 euro discount. Funding for the acquisition was provided by the museum, crowdfunding, and the Judith Leyster Fund. This purchase is particularly significant as the painting was originally created within the walls of the former orphanage, which now houses the museum. Currently, the museum is undergoing renovations, and the painting is slated to take a central role in the permanent exhibition when the building reopens in 2030, offering visitors an intimate look at the lives of the orphans.