Rijks Museum - Amsterdam, Netherlands

On my way back from my trip to visit my friends, Robert and Teague in Angola, Africa I returned to Amsterdam on a layover - which was fortunate because I needed another whole day to explore the canals and the Rijks Museum.

Sunflowers outside the Amsterdam Airport

I used the morning to make my way from the airport back to the Museumplein Square where I could catch a ferry for a tour of the city. It was a hop on-hop off ferry and I was able to stop for a bagel at the little cafe below Anne Frank’s House. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to tour her house as well as the Rijks in my short time there, but it was still an immensely strange feeling to stand on the cobble-stoned street that she must have walked on, and stare at the buildings she must have looked at from her window.

Amsterdam is a beautiful city to explore. There is so much interesting architecture, quaint little house boats, and bikes and wi-fi everywhere! It was really fun to just absorb all the sights while floating down the canal.

The Rijks building would be an incredible site even if it wasn’t filled with over 800 years of Dutch art and history.

I could have spent a week walking all 80 rooms and still would not have been able to study each piece the way I wanted. Even if you are unfamiliar with Dutch art, you most likely have seen a Rembrandt or Vermeer. These are the iconic masters of seventeenth century Dutch art and, forgive me for being a broken record, I did not fully appreciate the incredible brilliance of Rembrandt until I stepped in front of Night Watch, 1642.

Although I have taught about this painting for years in my various art history classes, I had not seen it in person. It stands at an imposing 11’11” x 14’ 4”. It is a group portrait of the company of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch, who appear in the front. I love this piece for it’s dynamic composition. It’s not nearly as flat as other Dutch portraits. There are so many characters moving around, some positioned with great prominence, and others I can barely see.

It’s thought that Rembrandt added his own portrait in between the company’s standard bearer and the man with the shiny helmet. I can only see his eye, which really cracks me up.

Everyone is looking different directions forcing my eyes to dart all over the canvas. Rembrandt's’ signature use of chiaroscuro (dramatic lighting) creates an emphatic statement of importance on the men in the center. But with all the controlled chaos of this composition it felt tight, even awkward, and I started to wonder about the size. After reading the plaque I discovered it had been TRIMMED (*gasp*) in 1715 when it was moved to the Amsterdam Town Hall. Just like the Mona Lisa was trimmed to fit an expensive frame the owner already possessed, Night Watch was trimmed on all sides to fit the space in which they wanted to hang it. My throat starts to close up just thinking of this travesty. I can only imagine how much more impressive it must have been before it was trimmed.

I did a lot of sketching at the Rijks because it seemed like they didn’t want you to take pictures, although, when there were mobs of people doing so the guards had given up that battle. So I took advantage of the mobs when I could.

This was one of my favorite pieces, but was a mystery. I could not find a plaque and didn’t find it in the guidebook.

It was fascinating. Aside from being enormous, the textures and values were made from what looked like large cat claws. I couldn’t stop studying it. It was suspended in midair in the Atrium but I could only see the front of it from the Passage. After tweeting @rijksmuseum they introduced me to the artist, Giuseppe Penone. This is his Spine d'acacia and is made with acacia thorns! Brilliantly fascinating.

Again, the building alone would have been worth the visit. The Passage was just what it sounded like - a road passage that went through the Rijks Museum. Street performers could look through the huge windows into the Atrium while they were entertaining the bicyclists and pedestrians as they passed through.

Someone once described the feeling of being overstimulated in a gallery like the sensation of too many skittles in your mouth. All good things - just a lot to take in at once. This is the best way I know to explain the Rijks. All good things. I wish I could have taken it in more slowly.