We are out of the house early today, The Rijksmuseum website warned that if you want to avoid the crowds to arrive before 11:00 a.m. or after 3 p.m.  Both scenarios give us only two hours of relatively peaceful viewing. As we cross Weteringschans we notice that all other pedestrians are heading the same way.   So much for the early bird, etc.

The Rijksmuseum

Our handheld devices give us too many choices.  I knew today would be all about choices. We opt for the longest of the highlight tours.  Pressing the button indicated, a ghostly form appears on our individual screens.  We are to follow this dark apparition, doing what he does, climbing stairs, going through doorways, walking around columns—stopping.

Vermeer

Suddenly we are amid a mass of humanity, all crowded into one alcove—what would the numbers be if we were here at peak viewing times?  I have to fight my way to get to the lovely Vermeer, The Milkmaid, and once there I am a bit disappointed to find the painting is under glass. As an artist, I like to see the brushstrokes, and mentally feel the painting. But, it is exquisite all the same.

I know there is debate over whether Vermeer used a mechanical device, the camera obscura, to render his paintings, and I tell Michael, and he says, “So what?”

Yes — exactly.  So what?  I look at the colors. The texture. The detail.  A hand had to wield the brush, and I know by experience that wielding any brush is no piece of cake — not to mention mixing colors. And this painting is so small—18” x 16”—and beautiful.

Rembrandt

There are four key pieces of art on this floor, Vermeer’s The Milkmaid, Rembrandt’s The Jewish Bride and The Nightwatch, and Van Gogh’s Self Portrait.  They all draw crowds.  We take our time and look elsewhere, waiting our turn to see the masters. It is something totally different to see the real work rather than a photograph.  Rembrandt used layers of paint and a palette knife to embellish the texture of the clothing. And his painting style evolved over his lifetime.  An appropriate quote was,  “Rembrandt, driven by the rage of age, saved the best for last.”

Van Gogh’s Self Portrait

It is a bit depressing to realize that all of these artistic giants died in debt, penniless, and of the three only Rembrandt was recognized as a great artist in his lifetime.  Eventually, he too lost his fortune, his home, his family and was ultimately buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave.

Other Artists, Other Art

The museum audio tour is excellent.  It gives details of each “highlight” painting and the option to listen to more information if you choose. It takes us upstairs, downstairs, around stairs through long hallways into the basement and back to the grand hall.  Our 90-minute highlight tour expands to three hours.  I’m slow, and I like to look.  And there is too much to absorb.  Michael equates it to Rome’s churches—sensory overload.  Come for a month, take a gallery a day, and really see it… is the advice I give myself, knowing I will probably never be able to take it.