Rijks Museum Masterpieces

Focused area of "David Leeuw and his Family", van den Tempel (1671)

 Sunday, April 24, 2022

The Rijksmusem is the national museum of the Netherlands and is dedicated to Dutch arts and history.  The architecture and building structure combine traditional with modern in an effective and pleasing setting.

We rented the audioguide, which was well worth the small investment, as you could follow a set tour, or wander on your own and look up the numbers of the item you were viewing.  We headed up immediately to the second floor to see the Gallery of Honour and the Dutch masterpieces, and then wandered to see specific items that were of interest.

Light filled ground floor of the Rijksmuseum, where you could pick up your audioguide

Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" (1642) - a militia guard in a central Amsterdam neighborhood

It became known as The Night Watch because the varnish that covered the painting darkened so much, viewers thought it was a night scene.  Cleaning revealed the chiaroscuro lighting.

"The Windmill at Wijk Bij Duurstede" by van Ruisdael (1668) - such a typical Dutch scene

"Dutch Ships in a Calm Sea" by van de Velde II (1665) - glorious sails and clouds

"Still Life with Cheese" by Van Dijck (1615) - an exquisite still life - lace, cheese, glass, porcelain, fruit - so many different textures captured perfectly

"Portrait of a Couple" by Hals (1622) - wouldn't they be fun neighbors?

"Portrait of a Girl Dressed in Blue" by Verspronck (1641) - this 10 year old girl was dressed in adult clothes, as was the fashion for portraits of the era

"Self Portrait of Saint Paul" by Rembrandt (1661)

Vermeer's "View of Houses in Delft" - also known as "The Little Street"

Vermeer is a favorite - perhaps because there are so few of his works.  This painting "View of Houses in Delft" (1658) just takes your breath away with its vivd colors and realism.  It's tiny - as most of his paintings are - about 18" by 24".

The commentary by the Rijksmuseum: "This is an unusual painting in Vermeer's oeuvre, and remarkable for its time as a portrait of ordinary houses. The composition is as exciting as it is balanced.  The old walls with their bricks, whitewash, and cracks are almost tangible.  The location is Vlamingstraat 40-42 in Delft.  Vermeer's Aunt Ariaentgen Claes lived in the house at the right, with her children, from around 1645 until her death in 1670."

"The Battle of Terheide" by van de Velde I (1657) - a focused detail

Another detail of the naval battle

These pen and ink drawings of the Battle of Terheide, by Willem van der Velde the Elder were captivating in their detail.  Van der Velde, the son of a Fleming seaman, was a Dutch Golden Age seascape painter who produced many precise drawings of ships and fleets.

He was an official government illustrator for naval battles, and was ferried around in his own boat, to give him a better view for sketching during the battles.  His son, van der Velde the Younger, followed in his footsteps, as you can see by the son's oil painting of the ships a few photos above.

The Cuypers Library - on art and history of the Netherlands

We saw so much more -  ship models, doll houses, Van Gogh's, precious piece of Delft.  It was a whirlwind two hours and I look forward to a return visit sometime in the future.