Public Art and Artists in Amsterdam

Like many cities Amsterdam has a long tradition of nurturing artists and art. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is an incredibly beautiful old building in the grand tradition and houses a huge collection of works by the Dutch masters. I have never been a huge fan of these dark, huge paintings but seeing them in their own city has brought them to life for me in a different way. The Van Gogh museum is also a must see and there are multiple small studios and museums throughout the city that showcase different parts and times of Amsterdam's artistic legacy. This year we made it to the Rembranthuis, the house and studio where Rembrant worked when he was at the top of his financial game. He ended up bankrupt and destitute but the house he lived in for a while when he was at his peak is now open to the public. The printing and painting studios have been restored and there is a certain magic to being in the room where this man worked grinding (or having an apprentice grind) his own pigments, stretching canvases, etc. My four year old grandson got a kick out of being allowed to help pull a print in the old printing studio when a demonstration was taking place.

Today Amsterdam has a very modern art scene. Street art is popular here and there are many galleries filled with contemporary sculpture, paintings, video presentations and conceptual art pieces. Unfortunately the contemporary art museum was closed for renovation but it is supposed to be amazing.

There is a certain whimsey about the streets of Amsterdam that I just love.

Any surface can be an excuse for an impromtu painting.

Houseboats sport all sorts of adornments but this one cracked us up. We saw it every day as it was on a houseboat we walked by to go to the market.

There are also lots of people sketching and painting. They are at cafes or sitting by the canals. Some have easels but many just have a sketchbook. I was one of these. I also saw art students everywhere in groups doing drawings but we saw a large number of them at the zoo and aquarium when we took the kids there one day.

These were my favorite little artists on the trip, though.

Comments

[fourdogday]

Wonderful!