Oysters & lemons

The Frans Hals Museum invites you to join a culinary tour of the museum’s collection, led by guest curator and culinary expert Janny van der Heijden. The starting point for this exhibition is a monumental kitchen scene by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem, which was acquired in 2023 with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt and has undergone extensive restoration in recent years.

About Janny van der Heijden

Janny van der Heijden studied Dutch Language and Literature and began her career as an editor at a publishing house, where she translated and adapted her first cookbook. Since then, she has been hooked. She now has dozens of titles to her name and enjoys an international following. Since 2013, Janny has also appeared on television as a judge on the successful programme Heel Holland Bakt. Between 2020 and 2024, she was also a judge on Heel Holland Bakt Kids.

In March 2023, Janny’s latest book, Smaakpalet van de Lage Landen, was published. In it, she brought together her love of food and art and explored the traditions and food culture of the Low Countries through iconic paintings. What do we see depicted, and what does this tell us about life in those days and the foreign influences on our cuisine? In 2025, she was guest curator of the exhibition Grand Dessert - The History of Dessert at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. At the request of the National Committee for 4 & 5 May, Janny was the chef for the 'Vrijheidssoep' in 2026.