The Rijksmuseum is open to the public again, and before we have a slew of guests come to visit I thought it might be nice to be able to speak authoritatively on how it looks after the refurbishment.
It is absolutely stunning! An amazing and wonderful world class Museum! The entry hall is a huge open atrium like the Louvre, and crowd management was excellent! Would you like to know more?
Himself got a day off work. Deciding to make the most of it, we planned on heading to a local medieval castle! Of course when the day dawn cold and wet (first day of summer, and Solstice don’cha’know) we decided that we’d get terrible photos and I couldn’t do that to all of you lovely readers. So plans changed and we ended up at the Oude Kerk and the World Press Photo Exhibition therein.
I’m not sure why is didn’t occur to me that the “World Press Photos” would be taken from “World Press”, and therefore mostly about War and Sports. But it didn’t, and they were. So as often as I was impressed with the technical aspects of the photos, and how much story they told, they were quite confronting and not often heart-warming stories.
Good thing for me I had other things to absorb myself into! Would you like to know more?
After throwing my back out and being rather useless all of last week (and under orders from my new and lovely physio, who we don’t want to upset) I took it easy on Saturday. Pulled out my paints, and floundered for a while making a great mess. But it was relaxing.
In Rembrandtplein beneath a statue of the artist himself there is a bronze-cast of his most famous painting; The Night Watch.
It was created in 2006 as part of the celebration of the artist’s 400th birthday.
This bronze-cast representation of the famous painting was on display for three-years before traveling to New York City, Moscow and Oranienbaum, Russia. In 2012, the bronze Nightwatch sculptures returned to the redesigned square where they serve as a magnet for visitors. In January 2013, the Rembrandtplein Entrepreneurs Foundation began a fundraiser to keep the sculptures in the square throughout the year.
This was what I wanted to do for my birthday. On the three month anniversary of us arriving in Amsterdam we finally went to the Rijksmuseum.
I have stood amongst, and seen paintings by Vermeer.
Knowing from one of the art blogs I read that the “Woman in Blue Reading a Letter” has recently been restored made it even more meaningful.
The power in the pieces moves me, and I like watching how other patrons react to them.
Rembrandt’s The Night Watch dominates the room it imposes over with such completeness that people are awed into silence.
Being able to stand in the presence of such amazing works really changes you, and grows your appreciation for both the effort and skill that goes into it’s creation, and the detail with which the era has been captured by the artist(s).
Of course there are other masterpieces like this Winter Landscape with Skaters which also show details and insight into daily life,
and which also show the Dutch sense of humour to perfection! (Do click on that link above, there is a LOT to see in this painting!)
I can’t wait to go back after the massive renovations are completed! You will be seeing more of the Rijksmuseum! *grins*
ghoti industries 