Out and About in Amsterdam Spring 2019
In Amsterdam they are serious about riding bicycles. These people aren’t riding their bicycles for recreation. Bicycles are a major form of transportation. There are over one million bicycles in Amsterdam. My daughter, Stacia, had been to Amsterdam many times and was well aware that people on their bikes ,especially in the morning, are on their way to work and they have no patience for pedestrians. I found that the hard way when one morning out of the blue Stacia gave me what I thought was a rude shove. She claims she saved me from a painful death. I’m still not quite convinced, but it did make me aware of the bicycle lanes and if I didn’t want any more unexpected pulls and shoves, I had better figure out where those bicycle lanes were!
Rijksmuseum
I love museums and I love art, so going to the most widely visited museum in Amsterdam was a no brainer. The building itself is impressive with its Renaissance and Gothic architecture. This is the Dutch national museum where you will find the great masterpieces of Rembrandt and Vermeer and over 8,000 pieces from the Middle Ages to the present. The museum was first built in 1798, then moved to the Royal Palace in 1808. It was moved to its current location in 1885. In 2013, it was reopened by Queen Beatrice after a ten year renovation.
People can’t get enough of this wonderful painting. I had no idea it was almost bigger than life.
I was so excited to visit this historic museum. I was soon to be in the presence of the paintings of two of my favorite Dutch Golden Age painters; Rembrandt and Vermeer. When I saw The Night Watch, I was amazed at how large the painting was. It took up almost an entire wall. It was hard to get close enough because so many people were standing in front of it. I finally inched my way up to the front. The figures were so lifelike it was although they were interacting with us. It was no ordinary portrait of a group of people. The two main figures in the foreground were flooded with light while the other people were in the shadows. But what was so interesting was that if you looked closely at the other figures in the painting, you could see they were all doing something like loading a musket or raising a banner. It was as if the entire company of people were in motion rather than posing for a picture. It was amazing.
My favorite painting was The Milk Maid by Johannes Vermeer. By comparison with the grandeur of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch is the flawless simplicity of Vermeer’s The Milk Maid. The woman in the picture is a house servant simply pouring milk from a pitcher. But somehow with Vermeer’s mastery of light and color, I couldn’t take my eyes off of that milk maid. I found myself drawn into this tranquil scene as the milk slowly poured out of her pitcher. Vermeer was able to capture extraordinary beauty from such an ordinary moment in time. The Milk Maid is one of only thirty-five known works by the Dutch master. I feel pretty lucky to have seen this one.
This piano was designed by Pierre Cuypers, the Rijksmuseum architect. It was an engagement and wedding present for his wife.
This still life oil painting is by Willem Heda. It caught my attention because of how realistic the painter rendered every surface, even glass. You could almost reach into that painting and pick up that goblet and gulp down whatever was in it.
Some very lucky little daughter of a wealthy Dutch merchant once owned this dollhouse. This is just one of the many rooms. Every detail is rendered to perfection from the oil painting above the mantle to the silver tea service sitting on an elegant table.
Front and back view of a perfectly preserved Chintz jacket, possibly from the early 1700’s. Chintz fabric was woven cotton block printed and hand painted. It was imported by the Dutch East India Company to Europe from India.
This wooden carving is a scene from the life of Christ. Jesus breaks bread with Mary and Martha. This piece was originally from the lower zone of a carved altar.
I love boxes and this one happened to have caught my eye.
I don’t know the name of this basilica, but it was open to the public so we slipped in and took in its beauty.
Canals and Rooftops
Gorgeous view of one the canals.
Amsterdam was built by wealthy Dutch merchants in the 16th century which was later dubbed as the Dutch Golden Age. The canals were actually dug out by hand. The buildings were built on wooden piles. The homes are tall and narrow because at the time they were built, they were taxed on the width of the house. Many of the homes are five to six stories high. Imagine running up and down those stairs all day!
Look closely at all the different types of gables the Dutch use in the houses they have built along this canal. Such a beautiful peaceful scene.
Another example of a typical street scene along one of the canals in Amsterdam.
A snapshot of Wertheimpark in Amsterdam moments before a rainstorm.
Farewell to Amsterdam
All good things must come to an end as they say and so the time came to pack our bags and go our separate ways; me back to the hot desert of Kuwait and Stacia to another spring in Iowa. It was hard to get back on that plane, but memories of the beautiful world of Amsterdam would have to sustain me until I would finally be back home in June 2019.
