After a healthy breakfast, I helped a large charter boat tie up to our hammer head. The German skipper enquired about fresh water, so I led him to where he could pick up a hosepipe, and connected it into the water-network for him. Once loaded up with a full tank of fresh water, they just dumped the hosepipe on the hammer head and left; coiling the hosepipe up and returning it to its rightful place was beneath them.
Later, a large Dutch motor boat turned up at the same hammer head. The skipper also wanted fresh water. We learned that he had sailed boats for 35 years, and according to his wife, health issues had shifted him onto a motor boat. The chap indicated he would rather sail, but needs must. They acquired the boat in Friesland, and were now on their way to show off their proud possession to the lady's parents in Alkmaar. We wished them, "Tot ziens!" as they left. They were a happy couple.
 Rijksmuseum |
The Rijksmuseum (The State Museum) has existed for more than two hundred years and is considered by many to be the "national treasure of the Netherlands". Like most of continental Europe's great museums, the Rijksmuseum has at its core a Royal Collection of 200 paintings and artefacts that were first displayed publicly in a national museum of culture in The Hague in 1800. Since then, it moved several times before being established in Amsterdam (1808) by the decree of the King of the Netherlands, Louis Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon. Since then it steadily expanded through donations and acquisitions. 1885 the Rijksmuseum moved to the beautiful building in which we now found ourselves, designed by the Dutch architect Petrus J.H. Cuypers. It was built in the then fashionable Dutch neo-Renaissance style, using historical neo-Gothic elements in it form and decoration.
The museum offered visitors an overview of art and history from the late Middle Ages to the present day, echoing its chosen motto "a feel for beauty, a sense of time", combined with an international context; the Dutch have travelled far and wide to explore all corners of the world during the centuries. The collection is not limited to paintings, however. Most of the paintings have been set in the context of other arts and crafts - from luxury furniture with brilliant trompe l'oeil inlays, to Delftware and porcelain, silver, jewellery, glass and ceramics, in staggering numbers, as well as both simple and elaborately decorated weapons and an exciting collection of model ships, and even the finds from the Willem Barentsz Dutch ship, De Witte Swaen, which was stranded on a Russian island in 1596, including the crew's leather shoes, tools, wooden buckets and musical instruments. The collection contains close to one million objects, covering art and history, including 17th century paintings by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Jan Steen and Vermeer, bringing Dutch history to life.
We started off working our way through 17th century art. Rex and I have different approaches to art. I tend to stop and absorb paintings whereas Rex gives them a once over and moves on, the result of this being Rex covers a room in the time it takes me to absorb a painting, and we soon drift apart. From experience Rex knew that this would happen, and said he'd see me back at the boat. We started off working our way through 17th century art. Rex and I have different approaches to art. I tend to stop and absorb paintings whereas Rex gives them a once over and moves on, the result of this being covers a room in the time it takes me to absorb a painting, and we soon drift apart. From experience Rex knew that this would happen, and said he'd see me back at the boat.
At the heart of the museum is the Gallery of Honour, at the centre of the building, which focuses on "The Night Watch" by Rembrandt van Rijn, and holds most of the collection's famous paintings. Rembrandt was the first artist to depict figures in a militia painting in action, rather than posed side by side. The Night Watch is a group portrait of members of the Amsterdam's Civic Guard, the Kloveniersschutterij. As armed citizens, they protected the city. With a hand gesture, the captain orders his lieutenant that the company should march. Through the strong contrasts of light and shadow, Rembrandt created depth, movement, and tension in the scene. This also drew attention to important details, like the shadow of the captain's hand gesture and the girl on the left. She was the company mascot.
Sadly, what I was looking at was a reproduction, the real Night Watch was hanging in the adjacent gallery, undergoing Operation Night Watch. At nearly 400 years old, The Night Watch has been through a great deal over the centuries. In recent years, the Rijksmuseum undertook an in-depth study of the painting to gain as complete a picture as possible of its condition and to determine the best method to treat it. In this way the painting will be optimally preserved for future generations. Currently, conservators are meticulously removing old layers of varnish and later overpainting. This exposes The Night Watch's eventful history, uncovering more of the original paint as well as scars from the past. Following this stage of Operation Night Watch, the painting will receive a new layer of varnish, and any paint losses will be filled in, allowing the painting to be displayed optimally.
I wound my way around the treasure troves in the superb museum, being as fascinated with not well known works as well as that of the masters. I include in this page just a small selection of the works that caught my eye.
 The Night Watch |
 André-Charles Boulle cabinet on a stand, crafted from ebony, tortoiseshell, and metal with intricate floral marquetry. Created in the late 17th or early 18th century, it exemplifies the French master's mastery of the boulle technique, which combined multiple materials to create elaborate decorative surfaces |
 Delft tulipiere, a tall blue-and-white ceramic flower pyramid. Costly cut flowers could be placed in each spout of this flower pyramid, which is built up of separate elements. The model of this tall, stacked flower vase originated at the court of William and Mary. |
 The Cuypers Library is the largest and oldest art history library in the Netherlands: viewable from the balcony (in room 2.16) |
 Model of the William Rex, a 1698 Dutch warship model crafted by Adriaen de Vriend and Cornelis Moesman. The model, made at the dockyards of Vlissingen, where real warships were built. It depicts a warship armed with 74 cannons. |
 Ludolf Bakhuysen’s 1689 oil painting The Man-of-War Brielle on the River Maas off Rotterdam. The artwork depicts the ship that carried Prince William III to England in 1688 to support the Protestant cause during the Glorious Revolution. The picture was painted in the year that William III and Mary Stuart were crowned king and queen regnant of England |
 Rembrandt van Rijn’s 1661 oil-on-canvas painting Self-Portrait as the Apostle Paul. Rembrandt depicts himself in the guise of the biblical Paul, complete with a sword and manuscript, to create a direct connection with the saint. |
 Rembrandt's The Sampling Officials of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild, Known as ‘The Syndics’. The syndics inspected the quality of dyed cloth. Notice the gazes of the wardens. They look straight at us, as if we just opened the door and interrupted their meeting. |
 The Milkmaid, a 1658–1660 oil-on-canvas painting by Johannes Vermeer. The work is celebrated for its meticulous attention to light and texture, capturing the stillness of a domestic kitchen scene. |
 View of Houses in Delft, known as The Little Street by Johannes Vermeer. The painting, showing a quiet street, depicts a typical aspect of the life in a Dutch Golden Age town. It is one of only three Vermeer paintings of views of Delft. |
 Rijksmuseum Internal Architecture |
 "Topers" by Jan Pieter van Baurscheit. This monumental depiction of two topers is a symbol of Gluttony. The sculpture impresses upon the public the notion that indulging in excessive drink undermines the work ethic and leads to laziness. The sculptor was probably inspired by a scene from popular theatre, where these kinds of indolent characters recurred regularly. |
 David Roentgen Rolltop Desk, a 19th-century French piece crafted from kingwood and inlaid with intricate marquetry and gilded bronze mounts. The desk, designed by the celebrated cabinetmaker, is celebrated for its elaborate scenes and opulent craftsmanship. |
 "La Corniche near Monaco" by Claude Monet, depicts everything shimmering in the sunlight as a winding red dirt path leading toward the sea with the dramatic cliffs of Monaco in the background. Created in 1884, the work captures the Impressionist master's signature use of light and color to portray the Mediterranean coast. |
 Self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. Vincent moved to Paris in 1886, after hearing from his brother Theo about the new, colourful style of French painting. Wasting no time, he tried it out in several self-portraits. He did this mostly to avoid having to pay for a model. Using rhythmic brushstrokes in striking colours, he portrayed himself here as a fashionably dressed Parisian. |
 "Père et Fille" by David Oyens. Father and daughter (Père et Fille) are depicted as passers-by on the street. The Dutch artist David Oyens painted his own version of a scene from his favourite novel Le Nabab, written by the French author Alphonse Daudet. Both Oyens and Daudet sought to capture real life in their work. To achieve this, Oyens used abrupt cropping, as if the painting were a snapshot. |
 "Summer Luxuriance" by Jacobus van Looy. It seems as if Van Looy has lavishly strewn blue flowers all over this large canvas. Looking a bit longer, however, one notices the artist's house in Soest and the hay wagons behind the tall hedge, and in the right foreground an overturned pot among the flowers. The painter was clearly inspired by the landscapes of Van Gogh, but his representation of nature and the fall of light are more realistic. |
 Chill Out Time at Café Restaurant De Baanderij |
However, the museum was large, and after a few hours we were saturated. Rex had lasted a couple of hours; I persevered for almost four hours. My legs were getting tired, and I was grateful it was public transport all the way back to the NDSM terminal.
When I got back to Duonita, it was a different day, warm and sunny. What a contrast to the morning. I was still wearing my winter clothing.
After a wee chin wag, a quick shower, we headed off to Café Restaurant De Baanderij by the ferry terminal. We sat outside, but as we waited for our food the temperature dramatically dropped. A cheery young woman, who was studying for her Masters in Business Administration, brought our starters out. However, we gave up the fight against the cold outside, and retired indoors. We sat for an age waiting for our main course, before a young waiter approached us and apologised. The waitress had failed to put the main order through (a Masters in Business Administration indeed), and the chefs were about to start cooking it. We were not impressed, and the Poussin I was served could have spent more time being cooked.
We left; no tip paid.