Rijksmuseum — Not just Rembrandt’s Nightwatch

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the Netherland’s premier art museum. It is devoted to several national collections — and consists of Dutch art from the earliest moments to the 19th century.

While the museum own nearly one million works of art, until recent renovations — which will be finished in [make your own guess... it was going to be 2009] — some 5000 paintings were on display in 200 rooms.

The collection was started when William V started acquiring pieces just for the hell of it, and has been growing ever since: it now includes Dutch paintings from the 15th century until around 1900, as well as decorative and Asian art.

But if you have only a limited amount of time, head for the Dutch Masters section on the top floor. Here’s where you’ll find Rembrandt’s Night watch, the jewel of the museum’s collection, and Johannes Vermeer’s The Kitchen Maid and Woman Reading a Letter, each capturing a moment in the life of a woman from a different background.

There are also excellent selections of works by the likes of Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Jacob van Ruysdael and Ferdinand Bol.
- Source: Time Out Amsterdam (Quoted from an earlier edition)

The Rijksmuseum also has fascinating collections of silverware, porcelain, 17th- and early 18th- century dolls’ houses, and furniture that shows what canal-house interiors looked like.

The Building

If you think the building looks familiar, that is because it bears a striking resemblance to the Central Station. Pierre Cuypers designed both. The Rijksmuseum opened in 1885, and Central Station opened just four years later.

Currently the Rijksmuseum is undergoing an extensive renovation and re-design. If you have ever visited the museum before – and got lost in its labyrinthine innards — you understand why this was necessary:

The New Rijksmuseum’s mission is to give visitors from all over the world a representative overview of Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages through the 20th century, and to present important aspects of European and Asiatic art. In order to meet this aim, a resolution to effect a comprehensive renovation of the Rijksmuseum was adopted by overwhelming majority in the Dutch parliament in 1999.

Since the opening in 1885, architect Pierre Cuypers’ monumental building has been adapted and extended many times, making this renovation a necessity. All these changes to the original structure – a richly decorated, open, inviting and easily navigable building – turned the Rijksmuseum into a labyrinth of galleries, which visitors found difficult to navigate and where the collection could not be exhibited under optimal conditions.
- Source: Rijksmuseum, Final Design

Open During The Renovation

During the renovation you can still view an extensive part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.

[T]he finest works from the 17th century in the Rijksmuseum will continue to be on view under the title The Masterpieces. The redesigned Philips Wing will provide an opportunity to see the highlights of the Golden Age together in surprising combinations. The more than 400 masterpieces will be on display in the Philips Wing…
- Source: Rijksmuseum, Visitor Information

Address & Contact Information

Jan Luijkenstraat 1 (Philips Wing) [Google Map]
1071 ZD Amsterdam

Tel: 020 674 7000 [Amsterdam phone info]

Opening Times

The Rijksmuseum is open every day from 9:00 to 18:00, on Fridays also from 18:00 to 22:00. Closed 1 January.

Website

Rijksmuseum

See Also

• Free or discounted museum access

Original content © Copyright 2009 DutchAmsterdam.nl [Read what that actually means]

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More about these tags / keywords: Rembrandt

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