Sunday, 28 February 2016

Amster-dayum - Day 2 - The Rijksmuseum

This is a must do if you visit Amsterdam. I would have liked to do the Van Gogh museum too but ran out of steam. Bloody fibro is sometimes a pain in the arse.



There is a small garden outside the museum that you can explore for free. Knowing my stamina for walking was limited I just took pictures from the walkway into the museum. Love the statues greened with age.



Front of the Rijksmuseum.




Amazing stain glass in hall.



The floor had some gorgeous mosaics.




More stain glass.



More mosaics.


Paintings on the end wall.


View of the entire hallway.


Satyr and Nymph by Gerard van Honthorst. Love the sensuality in this picture.


The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer. The light, colour and definition in this was exquisite. I can see why this spot in Vermeer's house was his favourite for posing his models, and appears in many of his paintings. The lighting in this spot is perfect. It was hard to get a good picture of this painting as there were so many people around it.


A ship on the high seas caught in a squall by Willem van de Velde II - the sky in this one reminded me of the Turner's I've seen in the National Gallery.


Festoon of Fruits and Flowers by Jan Davidsz de Heem -  when you look closely at this picture you can see lots of bugs and insects. It is sumptuous and beautiful.


Still Life with Silver Ewer by Willem Kalf - the painting of the silver ewer is just wow. I loved the way the light was bouncing off this piece.


Militia Company of District II Under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq - otherwise known as The Night Watch - by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn. The original painting was wider but canvas was removed from the edges so it could be fitted between two doorways when it was moved to Amsterdam.


Still life with Peacocks by Rembrandt - apparently peacocks were quite the delicacy at some point, the sacrilege!


The Drunken Couple by Jan Havicksz Steen - humorous picture of a drunk couple who are so inebriated they don't realise they are being robbed.


Militia Company of District XI under the Command of Captain Reynier Reael - known as The Meagre Company - painted by Frans Hals and finished by Pieter Codde when Hals failed to deliver the portraits on time. Codde tried to imitate the more flamboyant style of Frans Hals but it is thought he painted the 7 figures on the right of the picture.


Portrait of Eduard Wallis by Johannes Cornelisz Verspronck - this painting looks almost like a photograph. I was really impressed by the detail and quality of it. The subject was a wealthy cloth merchant.


Memorial portrait of Moses ter Borch by Gerard and Gesina ter Borch. It commemorates the life of Moses, he is surrounded by emblems that celebrate his life.




The Battle of the Downs by Willem van de Velde I - spectacular ink on canvas, the detail is almost as fine as you would find on a bank note but the picture is huge.



The Battle of Terheide by Willem van de Velde I - another ink on paper picture with amazing details.





Model of the William Rex - a Dutch warship. The details are amazing.



A celestial globe, with a close up on Leo - Alan's star sign.



A terrestrial globe, this time I focussed on Britain.


Warships in a Heavy Storm by Ludolf Bakhuysen - The ship at the centre, The Hollandia, was badly damaged in a storm near Gibraltar.


The Cuypers Library and Reading Room in the Rijksmuseum. You can visit here and research the rare and antique manuscripts.


Portrait of Gerard Andriesz Bicker by Bartholomeus van der Helst - portrait of a self assured twenty year old who held administrative positions in Amsterdam like his father, though his portrait is far more flamboyant.


The Corpses of the De Witt Brothers - probably by Jan de Baen - Assassinated by political opponents, the naked and flayed bodies of Johan and Cornelis de Witt were displayed on the Execution Ground of The Hague.


Panel with Pyramis and Thisbe - stone inlaid with mother of pearl and marble. This was just breathtaking.


Allegory of the Sciences by Gerard de Lairesse.  Whilst this looks three dimensional it is a painting.


Amster-dayum - day 1

As my daughter calls it...

We were staying at the Hotel Room Mate Aitana on the Ij-Dock. It was on the edge of the Ij Lake and windy - to say the least...


Curious architecture, complete with tree on the roof.


Our hotel, more strange architecture, but all the new buildings on the Ij-Dock were a bit funky.


This contraption is for taking boozy tours around the city, imagine it would be a bit nippy in February!


In the shopping mall under the Central station there was this curiously named shop. The stock didn't seem to have much to do with the name either.


Thousands of bikes parked outside the central station.



Beautiful gold and blue angel on top of a building near the station.


Wini - a vintage shop on Haarlemmerstraat. I didn't buy anything there.


Bike with really fat tyres, seems ideal for the cobbled streets of Amsterdam.


Gorgeous architecture on Haarlemmerstraat.


Another vintage store. Again I didn't find anything I liked in this one either. I am hard to please.


Interesting looking church.


Cheese shop! Didn't buy any cheese either.


Outside of an old school, Sint Antonia Meisjesschool on Haarlemmerstraat.


Tony Choco-lonely Chocolate in many varieties.


Thrift store raising funds for a homeless charity. I did buy a skirt in here which could be 1970s or 1980s - a bargain at 5 Euros.




More amazing gabled houses including this one which was leaning forwards somewhat ominously compared to the buildings either side of it.



The smallest cinema I've ever seen.


We stopped for coffee and cake in a small coffee shop. Gorgeous pastries available.


And the coffee shop had a resident cat. This has to be the fattest cat I've ever seen. 


Cakes with raspberry (furthest away) and gooseberry (closest to camera) - delicious but a tad too much.



Curious chocolate flavours in the coffee shop. Banana wasabi? Really? I wonder how much of that they sell?


Vintage Wardrobe Update

I went to a sale at the Hampshire Wardrobe, unfortunately arriving a little too late for the best items but I did find these gorgeous gloves made of chamois leather. They are a little snug but I am hoping to stretch them. I love the delicate mother of pearl buttons and the hand stitching is so delicate. And the best bit was they cost me just £1.






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