The Hermitage

The chill in the air doesn’t stop the real tourists from making it out to see the sights! Oh no! We have done it! We have been to see the Hermitage Amsterdam. As opposed to the Hermitage St Petersburg, which we would have to travel to Russia for. And will, mind you, just not this time!

I have been wanting to go here for a while, and with the Museum Cards we bought back in July, not only were we able to skip the queues of people, but we also got in free!

There are two main exhibitions on at the moment. The Impressionists, and the Van Gogh Museum is in residence owing to the refurbishment of its usual gallery down near the Rijksmuseum.

Unfortunately you find out pretty quickly (when you get told off, or you hear someone else being told off) that you’re not permitted to take photos in the Hermitage. I don’t really understand this rule, but I’m also no in a position to question it, so there you go. They do let you buy postcards of some of the works though.

It was such a moving experience for me, to be standing in a room full of Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin, Degas, and Rodin! All of the pieces were so influential in my childhood, and internally I thanked my wonderful mother for giving me such an appreciation for art and history. I wished she had been there next to me to share it with.

The Van Gogh section had a LOT more people in it, and it suddenly occurred to me that there are usually queues down the street out the front of its regular museum. So I just was grateful I could get close enough to see anything. I have always loved some of Vincent’s pieces, but until I walked through, I’d really had no idea how prolific he was, nor how many styles he worked in and mastered after just deciding to become an artist!

I shall be going back to visit the Hermitage again soon, before the Impressionist exhibition moves on.