Videos of Rijksmuseum
The following paintings are currently included in our catalogue:
Amsterdam
World-famous, definitey not just in the Netherlands: The Amsterdam Rijksmuseum is a household name. But have you ever experienced this museum through the eyes of someone who has actually lived there? At the fun part of art you hear the stories of Bas Zevenbergen, who grew up in this grand museum. Literally, because his father had the key to the front door. Watch the videos and listen to the stories!
The following paintings are currently included in our catalogue:
When the art of painting flourished in Holland, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, so did Amsterdam. And how! Amsterdam was the biggest, richest and busiest city in our part of the world. That's where it happened. And so that's where you had to go as an artist, at least that's what many painters thought. Masters like Rembrandt van Rijn and Gabriël Metsu left their hometown of Leiden, also a city of painters, for a life in bustling Amsterdam. After all, that's where most of the commissions were.
The Rijksmuseum is not only a museum for painter city Amsterdam, its mission is to show the art of the whole of the Netherlands (after all: "Rijks", meaning empire). Needless to say, Amsterdam art is plentiful. What will strike the visitor is the focus on Rembrandt. That Rembrandt was a special talent, one of the great painters, that has always been recognized, but the status that Rembrandt has as a "national painter," as the most famous and the very best, that is a recent phenomenon. The Rijksmuseum has certainly contributed to this revaluation. Was that perhaps a bit of Amsterdam pride after all?
Still, the Leiden school, with Gerard Dou and Frans van Mieris – that is also amply represented. Nor is Delft, the city of Vermeer and De Hoogh, overlooked. The Utrecht of Gerard van Honthorst, and the Haarlem of Adriaen Brouwer and Willem Buytewech (and Frans Hals)... The Rijksmusem surely is a national museum, with art from all over the country. That is precisely what makes it such a great museum for those interested in the Dutch art of painting.
The Rijksmuseum is the largest museum in the Netherlands. We do not recommend visiting the entire collection in one day, because there is actually too much. Such a thing would be needlessly tiresome, you would lose the fun at some point and we don't want that. We call it the fun part of art for a reason. The advice for every visitor: decide in advance what you want to see and do at least that. Afterwards you can then be surprised by something else, but if it becomes too much, then it's time to go outside again.
So decide in advance what you want to go see. Well, what would you like to see? At the fun part of art we like to talk about the genre art of the Dutch Golden Age, so our advice would be to focus on that. For that you have to be on the second floor. If you come up the big stairs on the left, you're right in the middle of it. Or, on the floor plan: 2.24 to 2.28. But also in the other direction, to 2.6 (the Avercamp room), you will find absolutely interesting painting from this period.
What you won't want to miss, which actually nobody skips: the the Gallery of Honor. This is where the most famous works hang. The gallery is high, stately, beautifully decorated and at the end hangs the Night Watch. In the large niches (they look like chapels in a cathedral) you will find the works of Johannes Vermeer and Jan Steen. among others The disadvantage of this gallery is that it is often very crowded. If you can go early, definitely start here, you'll be out before the crowds.
The Rijksmuseum offers audio tours and otherwise there are the signs by the paintings, but the handy museum guide sold in the museum store is also a good purchase. Of course, on your journey through art, take the fun part of art with you as well.
The most beautiful paintings of the Rijksmuseum are brought to life in the short films of the fun part of art. Bas Zevenbergen tells you all about the paintings he learned to appreciate as a child. That's how our virtual museum works: paintings, their story, Bas' interpretation. We offer preliminary fun, but of course you can also listen to the videos during your visit. Your phone is all you need. Choosing for yourself, that too is the fun part of art.
