Masterfully Made
From Friday 10 April, during Museumnacht Maastricht, Maastricht Museum opens the exhibition Masterfully Made: a journey through the rich tradition of craftsmanship in our city. As a border city influenced by France, Belgium and Germany, Maastricht developed into a place where craftsmanship and creativity shaped a distinctive style, admired both locally and abroad. The exhibition is a tribute to craftsmanship.
The unique Wagner–de Wit Collection
At the heart of the exhibition is the Wagner–de Wit Collection, assembled by the Hague-based couple Frederik Wagner (1870–1958) and Ambrosina de Wit (1876–1957).
After their passing, the collection found its home in Maastricht and was enriched with local heritage such as Maastricht silver, pistols and paintings. For years the collection remained in storage following renovations at Museum aan het Vrijthof. Now it finally receives the place it deserves: researched, presented and visible to the city once again.
Attention, precision and love for materials
Step into a world where craftsmen worked for centuries with extraordinary care and refinement. From eighteenth-century silverware and elegant flintlock pistols to the ceramics, glass and pewter produced in Maastricht factories during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, every detail reveals craftsmanship that goes far beyond simple production.
From craft to industry
In Masterfully Made you will discover how Maastricht transitioned from artisanal workshops to large-scale factories. The exhibition highlights the beauty of this development, but also its less romantic side: a city impoverished by sieges and factory workers labouring under demanding conditions.
Four centuries of making
Travel through four centuries of creativity, innovation and perseverance. Admire mythological figures, delicate engravings, shell motifs and floral ornaments, while also exploring the complex training of craftsmen, the social realities of the past and the influence of the Industrial Revolution, which gained an early foothold in the Netherlands here in Maastricht.
Discover the story behind every masterpiece
Curious about the hidden details, the craftsmanship and the stories behind these objects? Visit the exhibition and experience Maastricht as a city of makers.
Grandfather clock made by Maastricht clockmaker François de Beefe, between 1750 and 1775. The dial of the clock is made from pewter and copper, the case from oak wood.