We held off visiting the major art museums hoping to avoid weekend crowds, but we had timed entry tickets for the Rijksmuseum. It is gigantic, so we knew this would be our major outing for the day.
Richard’s ReLive video giving a more complete version of the day is here: https://www.relive.com/view/vmqXzgnp7oO
10.63 miles, sunny day.
It was a beautiful Monday morning to head to the Rijksmuseum. We had purchased some breakfast pastries and fruit so we decided to have breakfast in the Vondel Park.
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) was born in Leiden, but moved to Amsterdam as a young man to study under one of the leading history painters of northern Netherlands. He first made a name with small history paintings, but shortly became a sought-after portraitist. He often painted scenes from the Bible, mythology and history.
In the 1633 “Vision of Zacharias in the Temple,” Rembrandt painted the Archangel Gabriel appearing as a beam of light from the upper right announcing the birth of the High Priest Zacharias’s son, John the Baptist.
This Rembrandt portrait of a young lady shows her in her best clothing. The Chinese fan in her left hand was rare in 1639 showing the wealth of her family.
Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” is currently being restored but a reproduction is provided (shown here). This 1642 painting is Rembrandt’s largest and most famous painting, made for one of three headquarters of Amsterdam’s civil guard who defended the city from attack. The captain in black gives the order to march out. The guardsmen are getting into formation. Rembrandt was the first to show all characters in action, and used light to focus. The young girl in the foreground was the company’s mascot.
Rembrandt’s 1661 “Self Portrait as the Apostle Paul” is the only self portrait in the guise of a biblical figure. The manuscript and sword projecting from his cloak are Paul’s traditional attributes. By using his own likeness, he encourages a direct bond with the Saint.
“The Wardens of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild” is Rembrandt’s 1662 painting of administrators who inspected the quality of dyed cloth. Rembrandt portrayed them looking up from their work as though disturbed from work, involving the viewer in the scene.
“Portrait of Jan Valckenburgh and an Enslaved Servant” was painted in 1660 by Daniel Vertangen. It portrays a director-general of Elmira (in present-day Ghana) with an individual brought to be sold to the Dutch. At Fort Elmira, human trafficking was organized and coordinated by the Dutch West India Company. In total, the Dutch transported 550,000 Africans to the Americas and the Caribbean.
“Banquet at the Crossbowmen’s Guild in Celebration of the Treaty of Munster” was painted in 1648 by Bartholomeus van der Holstein. Here we observed schoolchildren being led by their teacher in a spirited discussion of their history. Spain and the Dutch Republic had a long history of wars, but had just resumed war in 1621 after 12 years of truce. There were voices calling for peace, particularly in Dutch trading towns like Amsterdam. In the 1640’s Spain also sought peace, so an accord was reached and the Treaty of Munster was signed in 1648. Here the captains of the civic guard company shake hands as a sign of peace, and the drinking horn is passed around.
“Fishing for Souls” painted by Adriane Pietersz van de Venne in 1614 reflects the competeion among religions. At the left are the Protestant north Netherlanders, and at the right are the Catholic southerners. Both parties fish for souls in the wide river dividing them. The Protestant’s catch is greater than that of the Catholics.. At the left the sun is shining and the trees are in leaf, referencing the Psalm “the righteous will flourish like a tree bearing fruit, whose leaves never wither.”
This pottery at the museum coffee shop reflects the Delft style of vases.
One Response
Still 10 miles a day! Impressive. Notice lots of rain in England. Is that your next destination? Is the El Niño we are moving into affecting your weather?
Dan