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De paden op, de lanen in" en "Waar de blanke top der duinen": with these songs Richard Hol (1825-1904) gained great fame in our country. But this musician was also significant in other fields. Hol was a conductor, pianist, composer and pedagogue. He composed symphonic poems, cantatas and four symphonies. In The Hague he conducted the Diligentiaconcerten and the Caecilia male choir. Since he lived and worked in The Hague for the last part of his life, it was not surprising that a monument to him was eventually erected in that city.

Immediately after his death, colleagues and admirers set up a committee to realise a memorial to this versatile musician. After other attempts had failed, money for the statue was collected via 'De Muziekbode, Geïllustreerd Weekblad voor Toonkunstenaars en Vrienden'. The committee approached sculptor Bart van Hove to design the memorial. This prominent sculptor was a popular portraitist and taught at the Amsterdam Rijksakademie from 1900 to 1914.
Fully in keeping with Van Hoeve's academic style, he chose a portrait bust on a pedestal. The name of the musician was added to the plinth in simple lettering. Underneath is a relief that refers to music: a winged woman playing a lyre. This muse is characteristic of Van Hoeve's work. It frequently contains elegant female figures, angels and putti, often with lavish decorations.

Originally, the monument was unveiled in October 1906 in the park on the Stadhouderskade near the Lübeckstraat, the musicians' neighbourhood. During the Second World War, however, this area was razed to the ground to build the Atlantik Wall. In 1956, the monument was given a place in the park on the Groot Hertoginnelaan.