THE HAGUE.- From the traditional Dutch ‘vlaflip’ to a royal dessert buffet, from baklava to a Charlotte Russe, from custard and ice cream to delicious gateaux: this winter the history and enjoyment of desserts in Europe is the focus of a new exhibition at Kunstmuseum Den Haag which opened on 23 November 2024. With exhibits including recipe books, baking tins, dinner services, paintings and much much more, visitors will be able to dive into the delicious world of desserts. A fun combination of art-historical objects and creative contributions from contemporary makers makes for a show full of surprises. Author and TV personality Janny van der Heijden is the guest curator of Grand Dessert – The History of the Dessert.

“A dessert is more than just the ultimate ending to a meal”, says Van der Heijden. “It reflects changes in culture, society and tastes down the centuries. You can tell a lot of stories using desserts. Stories about wealth and poverty, about temptation and deception, dominance and oppression, but first and foremost about love of all things sweet.” Along with Suzanne Lambooy, curator at Kunstmuseum Den Haag, she has been working on Grand Dessert – The History of the Dessert, an exhibition that will make your mouth water. “It will be a must-see for fans of art, culture and history, and for everyone with a sweet tooth. So for everyone, in fact, because who doesn’t love a dessert?”

The joy of dessert

For centuries, milk puddings and custards, ice cream and cakes have been a popular way to end a meal on a sweet note. The word dessert comes from the French verb ‘desservir’, meaning ‘to clear the table’. Dessert was served after the dinner table had been cleared. The exhibition focuses on the enjoyment of desserts in Europe from 1600 to the present day, exploring a number of subjects, including ice cream, custards, cake, fruit, desserts today, royal desserts, French and British desserts. The colonial origins of ingredients like sugar, vanilla and cocoa, the variety of flavours, and the stories behind famous desserts also feature in the exhibition. The many stories associated with these subjects has been narrated in short videos by Janny van der Heijden and others. There is also a gallery specially designed for children.

Hundreds of objects

The exhibition comprises hundreds of objects, both from Kunstmuseum Den Haag’s own collection and on loan from various Dutch museums, castles and country estates, and from a number of private individuals. They range from baking tins to recipe books, from dinner services to cutlery, from ice cream moulds to menus, and much much more. The exhibition is part of a series of shows at the museum on the subject of food culture. Grand Dessert follows on from Dutch Dining – Four Centuries of Table Settings (2015/2016), which focused mainly on the serving of meals, whereas this latest edition highlighting desserts looks at both the making and serving of food, and includes some surprising and unknown stories. Who knew, for example, that confectionery is a forerunner of porcelain?

Special element: fragrances

To take visitors even further into the tempting world of desserts, a special element has been added: scents. After all, tasting is mainly done with your nose, so aromas play a big role when you feast on a delicious dessert. Smell the spicy fragrance of Indonesian sponge cake, discover which aromatic elements come together in baklava or the Persian ice cream Bastani sonati. Enjoy that delicious smell of apple pie or the Indonesian dessert Es Doger with coconut milk and syrop from a fragrant plant from Southeast Asia. In total, you will discover 12 fragrances. These were developed by International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF), one of the world’s leading producers of flavour and fragrance ingredients and also specialised in museum and heritage fragrances, in collaboration with Dr Caro Verbeek, art historian, fragrance scientist and curator of Kunstmuseum Den Haag.

Catering & activities

Apart from viewing the beautifully presented exhibits, some of which are being displayed in the museum's attractive Period Rooms, visitors will also be able to enjoy appropriate refreshments and a programme of activities including lectures and special attention is given to festivities like Christmas, Chinese New Year and Eid al-Fitr. There will also be plenty to do for kids, with a special kids’ gallery, and workshops and other activities for all the family.