King Willem-Alexander opened an exhibition at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on Thursday where the statues that would normally be on the roof of the palace can be seen on Dam Square. The king was the first visitor to tour the works of art.

One of the first items the king saw was the meter-high Imperial Crown. The copper works remained on the roof of the palace until last week. It is clear that the crown still needs restoration: there are cracks and holes and the crown has turned green due to oxidation. When it is placed back on the palace, just like the other three crowns on the roof, the Imperial Crown will shine again thanks to a layer of gold leaf, among other things.

The king also saw that the weather vane had already been restored. A gilded weather vane stands out in the corridors surrounding the Palace’s Citizens’ Hall. The weather vane, which is approximately two meters high, dates back to 1665 and was removed from the roof at the end of last year, 100 years after its renovation. The spiked ship-shaped artwork is usually located at a height of sixty metres, making it the highest point in the palace.

Prudentia

The largest piece in the exhibition is Prudentia, which is usually on the roof of the dam. The copper statue is about four metres high and weighs 3,000 kilos. So the curator asked the king and guests to think of the people who put it there when they saw the statue. With the restoration of the statue, Prudentia, along with the snake and the mirror, has been returned to the ground for the first time since the 17th century. The statue has now been restored and is back to its original dark colour.

‘high! Look for. Roof Full of Stories, as the exhibition is called, can be visited daily until September 22. The palace roof is being restored on behalf of the National Real Estate Agency, which owns the national monument, and is scheduled to be completed in 2026.