First of all, Amsterdam is lovely, more quiet than I expected, and has more canals than even Venice. So, it's lovely to stroll through, and not too large a city---easy to navigate. I did my homework on that end; I knew the locations of all the museums, public buildings and coffee houses I wanted to visit before I even boarded the plane. I did not, however, take the notice that two of the large museums were under renovation, assuming they would be still vast enough to keep me happy and occupied. Wrong. Rijksmuseum, which is normally prodigious, was limited to one small wing. Lovely work, but excessively crowded with 10 second per image visitors. And no cameras, phooey.
Anyway, two images stood out to me...one surprised me, and the other seduced with with it's richness. Both reminded me that there is no substitute for experiencing work in person.
Willem Van der Velde I
Battle of Terhide, 1657, ink on canvas
Ink on canvas! Delicate. Lovely. I am not fond of the subject matter in any way....just the technique.
Rembrandt's little self-portrait is so much richer in person than I ever realized...I've studied a few Rembrandts, but was so conscious of the richness of color here---more intense than those in New York, by far.
Battle of Terhide, 1657, ink on canvas
Ink on canvas! Delicate. Lovely. I am not fond of the subject matter in any way....just the technique.
Rembrandt's little self-portrait is so much richer in person than I ever realized...I've studied a few Rembrandts, but was so conscious of the richness of color here---more intense than those in New York, by far.
