Museum Jan Cunen

Oss is a town in the east of North Brabant, on the edge of the Maas valley, and it has a history out of proportion to its size. In the nineteenth century it became a centre of the margarine industry, and the firms of Jurgens and Van den Bergh, which grew here, later joined others to form the multinational group Unilever. The same town gave rise to the pharmaceutical firm Organon. The wealth from these industries paid for factories, houses and public buildings, and a number of the elegant villas of the period still stand. Museum Jan Cunen occupies one of them, Villa Constance, and the house itself is part of the interest of the visit.

The villa is a nineteenth-century residence in a historical style, with tall rooms, large windows and a generous staircase, set close to the railway station, so that it is easy to reach for travellers coming by train. Inside, the rooms spread over several floors have been adapted as galleries, but the proportions and the light remain those of a family home. The mixture of domestic architecture and modern displays gives it a friendly, unstuffy character, quite unlike a large national museum.

The museum's collections cover several fields. Archaeology is one, and the area around Oss is rich in finds from prehistory. Oss is known for a remarkable Iron Age burial discovered in a burial mound in the 1930s, the grave of a prince, whose rich furnishings, including a famous sword, are a highlight of Dutch archaeology and are kept at the national museum in Leiden, but the local museum carries the story of such discoveries and of the long human presence in the region. Applied art and modern art from the region form the other main strands, and the museum often presents exhibitions on photography, design, historical figures and contemporary artists, with an emphasis on supporting local and emerging talent.

The programme changes several times a year, so a visit at a different time may offer a different experience. Past shows have dealt with subjects such as the royal family and its portraits. A cafe provides a pause, and a shop sells publications and postcards. Admission is charged, and museum cards are accepted, so check the current opening hours and ticket prices before going.

The museum suits art and history lovers and families looking for a quiet outing, and a visit takes about an hour or two. Oss itself has a lively centre with shops and cafes, and the surrounding countryside offers cycling along the Maas.