Rijksmuseum

 6 April, 2025

Guess where we started our day? A final visit to Bagels & Beans, where we savored the cappuccino and wondered when we might return for another, and would it be as good whenever that time comes?

After some preliminary packing the night before (after our early dinner) it appeared that the small duffel bag I procured would not be sufficient to the task, so I  was researching local luggage sources and contemplating the impact an additional checked item would have on our forward travel.

After finishing our coffees we collected our customary takeaway coffees and headed back to the hotel, deliveries in-hand. Plans this morning were to visit the Rijksmuseum and see the iconic artwork in their collection.

Rijksmuseum

The museum was just out of comfortable walking range for some of us, so we grabbed a quick Uber. Signage around the museum is sparse, and entrances are on both sides of the street that runs under the museum, so keep your wits about you and just pick the door with the shortest queue. Tickets have a 15 minute entry window, which is a bit flexible on the back-end but not so much on the front end. I highly suggest the optional audio tour, it is a great enhancement for the experience. 

Other than the "big" draws in the collection of paintings (van Gough, Rembrandt, and Pieneman) I truly had no expectations of what we might see. I didn't know if it was just art (but suspected not) or more along the lines of the Victoria & Albert Museum with some iconic paintings mixed in (but hoped not.) I was pleasantly surprised to discover an art-weighted collection filled primarily with paintings and augmented by items of particular interest with artistic or cultural significance. For example, a box of opium wrappers guaranteeing both the quality and quantity of the contents from the Dutch East Indies after private trade was banned and a Government-regulated monopoly was implemented. Placed in the context of paintings of the region it added context to the exhibit.

The museum crowd wasn't excessively dense, but there were a few bottlenecks. We were able to see all of the iconic works with minimal hassle, and discovered some fascinating pieces from artists with names we recognized, but didn't know they were artists. It seems that Amsterdam has a preference for using artist's names for streets rather than past political or military leaders. Our hotel was on Albert Cuypstraat, named for Aelbert Cuyp (1620-1691) who painted amazing landscapes. The van Gough self-portrait with Grey Felt Hat was getting attention, but not what I expected. It made me wonder where other museum visitors came from – this is one of THE van Gough paintings. As I write this it is the banner image on the van Gough Museum web page "Five things you need to know about van Gough's Self-Portraits"  – it is THAT iconic, and most people were strolling past without more than a casual glance. As I've said before, I'm far from an authority on art, but seeing this piece from inches away reveals the amazing combination of color and brush-stroke that form the final work, and it is jaw-dropping. I don't understand how he did it, but I can understand and appreciate how complex the work was to produce the result.

The Battle of Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo by Jan Willem Pieneman is a massive painting, just over 18.5 feet tall and 27 feet long, and the largest in the Rijksmuseum collection. Other than the sheer enormity of the painting in both scope and scale, I'm left to wonder how all the elements were pulled together to tell the story of Napoleon's final defeat. Pieneman spent three years doing studies, largely in London (including the Duke of Wellington's horse) and working on the painting itself. After completion it was displayed in Hyde Park in a purpose-built pavilion and remained there for almost a year. The lighting and detail in this painting is staggering, I can't begin to comprehend the effort required to select the subjects, their placements, and dispositions in order to convey the story.

The Night Watch

The crown jewel of the Rijksmuseum is The Night Watch, a commissioned work portraying a company of civic militia guards. While a layer of dark varnish gave the impression that the painting portrayed a night scene, subsequent cleaning and preservation has shown that the event took place during the day. Over the years the painting has been vandalized numerous times, put away for safekeeping, and moved during renovations at the Rijksmuseum. At some point in the past the edges of the painting were trimmed. The missing pieces have since been restored with the use of artificial intelligence. The varnish coating protected it from several vandalism attempts. For the last several years it has been housed in a dedicated glass-walled room undergoing cleaning and restoration in full view of the public. New lighting techniques have been implemented and the entire canvas is being mapped layer by layer, and pigment by pigment. The subtle symbolism embedded in the painting is mind-boggling and yet another reason the audio tour is a valuable asset during your visit.

We were in need of some refreshment when we left the museum and zipped around the corner to Brasserie Zuiderbad for sandwiches. This family-run cafe turns out some amazing, yet simple, sandwiches along with top-notch french fries. Service was quick, the chairs were comfortable, and ticket times were short. If you find yourself in the neighborhood and want a quick, affordable bite to eat, don't overlook them.

After refueling I embarked on a suitcase search in the neighborhood of The Pantry while everyone else strolled a few blocks back to the hotel. I hopped on the tram for a few stops and located the shop I earlier identified using The Google. I identified several viable options in the size range I was interested in, unfortunately the one I was most drawn to exceeded the investment I wanted to make to resolve our space shortage. I was able to find a sturdy example at a more reasonable price point and whisked off back to the hotel to finish packing for our Monday departure.

We had dinner reservations, but we were all running out of gas and opted to try the neighborhood Italian bistro just across from the hotel. Small and rustic, the epitome of a local favorite in almost any city you care to name. We enjoyed generous and tasty salads as well as delicious pasta and some nice wine. While the meal was simple and uncomplicated, it was absolutely perfect. 

We wandered back to the hotel and put the final touches on our packing. Lourie and I were on KLM the next day to Munich. KLM has a generous luggage policy, but I knew I was going to be on the hook for an additional checked bag. When I completed our online check in I was thrilled to discover that a significant discount was offered if you pre-paid for any excess luggage. When will U.S. carriers catch up with the Dutch in this regard?