Amsterdam Attractions, Netherlands

Dutch National Museum
The world-famous museum of art goes back to the time of King Louis Napoleon who wanted to make Amsterdam a center for art and science. In 1809 he set up the Grand Musée Royal in his palace on the Dam. Works from the national museum in The Hague, which had been opened in 1798, and a few pieces belonging to the city (including Rembrandt's "Night Watch") formed the basis for this museum, which grew swiftly with the purchase of various collections. Soon the palace rooms could no longer hold all the works, so eight years after its foundation the National Museum was transferred to the Trippenhuis. More purchases and gifts over the next few years made another move inevitable. It was finally decided that a museum in neo- Gothic should be built on the Stadhouderskade (1877-85). The architect was P. H. J. Cuypers. Today the Rijksmuseum has about 7million works of art, including 5,000 paintings in over 250 rooms, a library with some 35,000 volumes and about 21,000 auction catalogues. Apart from its unique collection of old masters, it offers an exhaustive account of the development of art and culture in the Netherlands and is especially rich in old Dutch handicrafts, medieval Dutch sculpture and modern Dutch paintings. The Rijksmuseum is divided into several departments, of which only the collection of paintings on the first floor is open all day. The other departments can be visited alternately in the morning or the afternoon from approximately 1 pm. Details can be obtained by telephone.

Municipal Museum
The Municipal Museum (founded in 1885) is one of Europe's most important modern art museums. Its collection mainly covers 19th and 20th C. Dutch and French painting. The museum owes its existence to the appreciation of art and the generosity of leading citizens of Amsterdam. Its collection is based on the gift of the widow Suasso-De Bruin ("Sophia Augusta foundation"). Chr. P. van Eeghen's collection of contemporary art was added to this as well as other collections not confined to contemporary works. These were later transferred to other museums, since in accordance with its original concept the Municipal Museum specializes in modern art from the mid-19th C. onwards. The following are some of the movements and artists represented: De Stijl (Van Doesburg, Mondrian, Rietveld), Cobra (Karel Appel, Corneille, Jorn), Colorfield Painting (Kelly, Louis, Newman), Pop Art (Rosenquist, Warhol), Nouveau Réalisme (Armand, Spoerri, Tinguely); painters such as Chagall, Dubuffet, De Kooning, Malevitch and Matisse. The sculpture garden contains numerous works, including those of Rodin, Moore, Renoir, Laurens and Visser. The Municipal Museum has its own library and puts on avant-garde films, concerts and exhibitions.

Royal Palace
The Royal Palace on the Dam, formerly the town hall, constitutes an impressive central point of Amsterdam. Nowadays it serves as the Queen's residence when she is in the city. Building began on 20 January 1648 with the sinking of the first of 13,659 piles for the new town hall. Its architect was Jacob van Campen whose inspiration was the architecture of Ancient Rome; the exterior is strictly classical and the interior is magnificently furnished. The apartments are decorated with a wealth of reliefs, ornamentation and marble sculpture by the Flemish sculptors Artus Quellinus and Rombout Verhulst, and with friezes and ceiling-paintings by Ferdinand Bol and Govert Flinck, pupils of Rembrandt. Van Campen was, however, unable to finish the building and Stalpaert took over from him in 1654. Costs had risen so much in the meantime that work on the tower of the New Church had to be suspended. The new town hall with the 51 m (167ft) high tower (carillon) was finally completed in 1665. For about 200 years this imposing building, the greatest work of the 17th C. Dutch Classicism, was the political center of Amsterdam and the republic. In 1808, however, Louis Napoleon, Holland's new king, wanted it for his own residence. His Empire furniture from that time is still one of the finest collections in the world. With the ending of Napoleonic rule the town hall reverted to the city which, however, because of its financial straits, was unable to use it for its original purpose and let it to King William I as a temporary residence. In 1935 the State bought the palace for 10million guilders and had it extensively restored for use on official occasions. The finest rooms, and the most interesting from the art historian's point of view, are those overlooking the Dam. The city treasurer's room has an interesting marble fireplace and ceiling paintings by Cornelius Holsteyn. The Hall of the Aldermen contains paintings by Ferdinand Bol and Govert Flinck and a work by Jan Lievens hangs in the Mayor's Chamber. The largest and most important room is the Council Hall (34*13*16·75 m (112*13*55ft.) and 28 m (92ft.) high). This sumptuously decorated hall (one of the most beautiful state rooms in Europe) was where the ball celebrating the marriage of the Crown Princess Beatrix to Claus von Amsberg was held in 1966. Mention should also be made of the ante-room (Vierschaar) which contains four outstanding caryatids (figures supporting beams) by A. Quellinus the Elder.

Van Gogh Museum
The biggest Van Gogh collection in the world (a donation from Van Gogh's brother Theo and his nephew V. W. Van Gogh), formerly in the Stedelijk Museum, has been housed since 1972 in the museum specially built for it by Gerrit Rietveld. The collection consists of around 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 letters. There are also works by those of Van Gogh's contemporaries who influenced him or were influenced by him. The ground floor of the museum has works from between 1880 and 1887, a period characterized by realistic painting in very dark tones ("The Potato Eaters", 1885). The first floor shows work from 1887 to 1890 and the pictures glowing with broad brushstrokes of contrasting color clearly reveal the influence on Van Gogh of the Impressionists. Most were painted in and around Arles ("Vase with Sunflowers", "The Yellow House", "The Sower", etc.). The second floor has etchings and drawings. Van Gogh's works on the third floor are arranged thematically along with those of his contemporaries (including Henri Fantin Latour, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin). The Museum Library contains literature about Van Gogh and his time. There is also a workshop attached to the museum for teaching aimed at encouraging people to create their own art (e.g. courses in photography, painting and various print techniques).

Keukenhof
Only 1km/.75mi northwest of Lisse is Keukenhof. During the Middle Ages this 28 hectare/70 acre park was the "kitchen garden" of an estate belonging to Countess Jacobaea of Bavaria. Since 1949 it has been a popular tourist attraction, with restaurants and sunny terraces, exhibitions and presentations of various kinds. The Keukenhof is the world's largest open-air flower show. Every year more than 700 varieties of tulips can be seen in bloom here. The charm of Keukenhof lies in its endless variety of color and, even before the flowers bloom in the open, thousands of tulips, hyacinths, crocuses and daffodils can be seen flowering in the 5,000 sq.m/6,000 sq.yd of hothouses. The park itself is also very beautiful, with its lakes and watercourses and old trees.

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