24 Nov 2025 – 1 Mar 2026
24 Nov 2025 – 1 Mar 2026
The Willet-Holthuysen HouseWorld discovery
The Amsterdam Museum recently made a world-class discovery. While examining the painting The Chief Commissioners of the Wharves, restorer Liesbeth Abraham discovered a tattoo on the inside of the left wrist of one of the subjects. And not just any tattoo: it turns out to be the earliest known depiction of a tattoo in Western European painting.
What led a wealthy merchant to get a tattoo on his wrist? What does the tattoo actually represent? And why is it so clearly visible in the center of this group portrait? This small presentation is the result of research into the answers to these questions. Questions that, even after months of research, have not all been answered.
We invited Amsterdam tattoo artist Henk Schiffmacher to visit our depot to examine the tattoo with us. Schiffmacher has extensive knowledge of the history of tattoos and has a collection of tattoos and literature on the subject. He had never seen such an early Amsterdam tattoo before. We asked him to display some objects from his collection here as well.
The painting The Chief Commissioners of the Wharves and objects from Henk Schiffmacher's collection will be on display in a small exhibition at the Willet-Holthuysen House until 1 March 2026.
Want a 17th-century comet on your wrist?
Visitors who would like to have the historic comet star tattooed on their wrist free of charge by Henk Schiffmacher can leave a registration form with their motivation in the exhibition hall. A jury will select five lucky winners, who will receive the tattoo during a special evening event. Only visitors to the exhibition are eligible for the tattoo; applications submitted through other channels will not be considered.
Huis Willet-Holthuysen is located on Herengracht 605 in Amsterdam and open Mon-Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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