WHAT TO SEE AT THE RIJKSMUSEUM IN AMSTERDAM: THE UNMISSABLE MASTERPIECES
After the works housed at the Mauritshuis museum, in this second leg of the journey into Dutch art I’ll show you what to see at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
It’s one of the most visited museums and is the perfect place to immerse yourself in Dutch art history and its masterpieces.
Vermeer, Rembrandt, van Gogh, Floris van Dyck and Hans Bollongier are the artists you shouldn’t miss at the Rijksmuseum that you can also explore from home by making a virtual tour (you’ll find the link at the end of the post).
What to see at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam: the unmissable masterpieces
The Rijksmuseum is located inside a historic building in Amsterdam and houses more than 8,000 works, including masterpieces of Dutch art between the 17th and 18th centuries. To know what to see at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam you can start from the list of works in this post.
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WHAT TO SEE AT THE RIJKSMUSEUM IN AMSTERDAM: THE UNMISSABLE MASTERPIECES
The Night Watch by Rembrandt
The Night Watch by Rembrandt
The Night Watch is, without any doubt, the masterpiece you can’t miss among what to see at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
It’s the largest painting Rembrandt ever painted, and is the symbol of the art of the Dutch Golden Age.
The work is famous for its large size, the balance between light and shadow and the movement of each character portrayed.
For further information, read the analysis of the painting in the post The Night Watch.
The Milkmaid by Jan Vermeer
The Milkmaid by Vermeer
Jan Vermeer is the artist who painted the famous painting Girl with a Pearl Earring and is well-known for his works portraying scenes of ordinary life taking place inside Dutch houses.
The “Milkmaid” looks like a photo, except that the painting was executed in the second half of the 17th century and photography hadn’t been invented yet.
For more information, read the post Vermeer’s Milkmaid.
Self-Portrait by Van Gogh
Self-Portrait by Van Gogh at the Rijksmuseum.
Van Gogh is one of the most famous Dutch artists in the world and is the author of a self-portrait hanging in the Rijksmuseum.
During his life Vincent Van Gogh did 900 paintings and more than 1,000 drawings, including many self-portraits in which he tried to show his inner anguish.
Still life with cheese by Floris van Dyck
Still life with cheese by Floris van Dyck
Floris van Dyck is well-known for his still-life paintings, a very important pictorial genre in Dutch art of the 17th century.
The sumptuously laid table of Floris van Dyck’s painting is one of the masterpieces of this pictorial genre and the composition, studied in detail, is extremely realistic.
Floral Still Life by Bollongier
Floral Still Life by Hans Bollongier
If you think of the Netherlands, tulips immediately come to your mind and these flowers can’t be missing even in the masterpieces hanging in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. This still life by Hans Bollongier was painted in 1639 and is a bouquet of tulips, roses, anemones and carnations which don’t all bloom at the same time, and that actually can’t coexist side by side. In the painting, the portrait of the nature subjugated by the contradictions of a fake world.
The painting was executed shortly after the famous “Tulip mania”, the first financial crisis in history, caused by a speculation in tulip bulbs.
This still life depicts an unreal nature and the transience of earthly matters.
RIJKSMUSEUM WORKS: THE VISIT
To arrange your visit, book and buy your ticket, read the post Rijksmuseum Tickets containing all information you need.
However, you can explore the museum from home and discover the works of art on display by taking a virtual tour!