Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Rijkmuseum is in a wonderful neighborhood in Amsterdam, near canals crossed by bridges with flower baskets. The museum is in a huge building with a long arched entrance tunnel. One area of the building has stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings, mosaic floors, and walls painted in medieval themes.
The museum is large, and it takes more than a day to see everything. Favored by visitors are the Impressionist paintings, such as those by Van Gogh and The Hague School.
An interesting room is filled with paintings by Dutch people who went abroad to the colonies. They show what life was like in the Dutch colonies of Java, Suriname, Brazil, and areas in Africa.
My favorite painting was by 19th century Romantic painter Fredrik Marinus Kruseman, called Monk Meditating near a Ruin by Moonlight. It depicts Villers Abbey near Brussels, overgrown and full of atmosphere. His paintings often have a dreamlike sky, architecture, people playing, and light on water.
A fascinating section of the museum were the displays of ornate medieval door keys.
Some of the museum has Dutch Golden Age paintings, of the 16th and 17th century. These paintings were usually small and did not focus on grand or religious themes, as Calvinism forbade religious paintings in churches. The paintings are of everyday life, portraits, still life, or landscapes. The indoor scenes are often darkly lit, influenced by the long Dutch winters.
After, rest your legs at Weteringsplantsoen, a magical, narrow park on the water, near the museum. Or you can explore the museum garden and museumplein, a huge flat lawn where people hang out behind the museum.
Petunias in a basket on a Museumbrug, the bridge near the museum.
The museum is in a lovely neighborhood.
Statue outside the museum.
The vaulted ceiling of the entry tunnel.
Courtyard inside the museum.
Countryside scene with windmill.
Girl Knitting in the Dunes, by Bernard Blommers. She is knitting black stockings, a symbol of the strict Dutch Reformed Church.
Visitors check out some landscape paintings.
La Corniche near Monaco, by Claude Monet. The painting was given to the Rijksmuseum in 1900, when Monet's work was unknown in Holland.
Colonial paintings.
Diorama of the waterfront along the Suriname River. A Dutch merchant lived in the green house.
Diorama of a dance celebration on the plantation Gerrit Schouten. The performers and spectators are slaves.
A painting of the Great Postal Road, a 1000 km long road through Java, that gave the Netherlands greater military control over Java.
A painting of the arrest of Diponegoro.
Two Women Looking at Art, by Manuel Robbe, depicting the quiet and refined culture at the end of the 19th century.
19th century vases of gilded bronze.
Piano with scenes from the life of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.
Saint Clare, bathed in light. By Joseph Desire Court.
Cat at Play, by Henriette Ronner-Knip.
My favorite painting in the museum, by 19th century Romantic painter Fredrik Marinus Kruseman, called Monk Meditating near a Ruin by Moonlight.
Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast, by Wijnand Nuijen. The insignificance of man compared to the power of nature.
Portrait of William II, King of Netherlands, by Jan Adam Kruseman. Under him, the Netherlands became a parliamentary democracy.
Fruit in a Terracotta Dish, by Anthony Oberman. I love the luminous grapes.
Sleeping Beauty, by Frans Stracke.
Other side of Sleeping Beauty, by Frans Stracke.
Charity the Educator, by Lorenzo Bartollini. The woman is caring for two children, teaching the older one to read.
The Music Lesson, by Louis Moritz. Women were encouraged to play piano, guitar, harp, or to sing.
Ecce Homo, by Louis Royer. Behold the man.
Vaulted ceiling in the Rijksmuseum.
Skylights and vaulted ceiling in the Rijksmuseum.
Painted walls in medieval themes.
Stained glass windows in Rijksmuseum.
Mosaic floor in Rijksmuseum.
Stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings.
Still Life with Tropical Fruit, by Albert Eckhout. It represents the colony of Dutch Brazil. I have never seen a still life with tropical fruit before!
The second expedition to the Dutch Indies returns to Amsterdam. I love the colors in this painting, and its style.
A smiling nymph tugs a satyr towards her.
Medieval door keys.
Medieval locks and keys.
Goblets made in the Netherlands around the late 16th century.
From mid-17th century until the early 20th century, parents tried to shape their daughter's bodies with corsets, despite warnings from doctors.
River Landscape with Riders, by Aelbert Cuyp.
Rijksmuseum is located at Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam, Netherlands. Open daily 9-5. Reserve your entrance time online.
Last Updated: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 18:27:16 GMT
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