t The Van Gogh Museum's interior
With its picturesque canal scenes and liberal atmosphere, it’s easy to see why this city has been a haven for artists for centuries. In Amsterdam’s museums, you’ll find both flashy 17th-century portraits and cutting-edge 20th-century works, whilst street artists are making the city their canvas.
t The Van Gogh Museum's interior
Vincent van Gogh (1853–90) began painting in the Netherlands, but his most famous works were inspired by Arles. The sun-soaked colours of Provence can be seen in Sunflowers (1888) and Vincent’s Bedroom in Arles (1888). Continually blighted by depression, he tragically ended his life before his brilliance was recognised. The Van Gogh Museum is an unmissable stop for any art fan.
Boldly coloured squares and rectangles are the hallmarks of “Piet” Mondriaan’s work. Mondriaan (1870–1944) was one of the driving forces behind De Stijl – the Dutch movement that explored the clarity and purity of straight lines. His Composition in Red, Black, Blue, Yellow and Grey (1920) is one of the gems of the Stedelijk Museum’s collection.
Delft-born Johannes (Jan) Vermeer (1632–75) is one of the superstars of the Golden Age. With works such as The Love Letter (1666), Vermeer helped to create a new form of genre painting where objects in everyday scenes became symbols. In The Love Letter, which hangs in the Rijksmuseum, the lute represents carnal love. Vermeer’s best known work, Girl With a Pearl Earring (1665), is housed in the Mauritshuis in Den Haag.
Born in Leiden, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–69) moved to Amsterdam in 1631, where he found many wealthy patrons. The Night Watch (1642) is his most venerated work and you can admire it, and many of his other paintings, in the Rijksmuseum, but for an insight into the artist’s life, head to the Museum Het Rembrandthuis.
The I amsterdam City Card grants you free entry to many museums.
Amsterdam for Art Lovers
Electric Ladyland
⌂ Tweede Leliedwarsstraat 5 ∑ electric-lady-land.com
This fluorescent art gallery is a treat for those who love all things psychedelic.
Street Art Museum
The world’s largest street art museum is housed in a former warehouse next to NDSM.
Kochxbos
⌂ Eerste Anjeliersdwarsstraat 36 ∑ kochxbos.nl
Visit Kochxbos for collectable graphic art and 21st-century surrealism.