Rijksmuseum

The State Museum was founded by Louis Bonaparte in The Hague in 1800, and was moved to the Royal Palace in Amsterdam during 1808–1809. The extensive collection of the museum was housed in various buildings until it was decided at the end of the 19th century to specially construct the building in which it is still located today.

This building, in the Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance styles, characterized by an abundance of decor and roofs with long slopes, was created by the Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers, who also designed the Central Station. It was built between 1877 and 1885, but recently underwent a renovation that did not alter its exterior appearance, which allowed for an innovative museum concept.

The Rijksmuseum renovation was carried out by Spanish architects Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz. They did not change the historical national style of the building's exterior, but reorganized all the rooms and covered old courtyards with a glass roof to use them as exhibition spaces.

The work lasted 10 years and cost 375 million euros. The reopening of the renovated museum took place on April 13, 2013, in the presence of Queen Beatrix.

Since then, the museum has been visited by more than two million people a year, making it the most popular museum in the Netherlands, and it is also the largest art museum in the country.

The Rijksmuseum collection includes one million items, covering the period from 1200 to 2000, but only 8,000 objects are displayed, including a small collection of Eastern art. It is located in the Asian Pavilion, built by Spanish architects Cruz and Ortiz in 2013.

It is important to note that the Rijksmuseum is not just a picture gallery but a diverse collection of sculptures, maritime artifacts, furniture, and interior items, treasures brought from the colonies. This allows a comprehensive presentation of the history and culture of the Netherlands.

Artworks are displayed in 80 rooms across four floors, but the most important part of the museum's collection is exhibited on the second floor. This includes Dutch paintings from the 17th century, including works by Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Visiting the Rijksmuseum is organized in chronological order, starting from the basement floor, where exhibits from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance are impressively displayed.

At the beginning of the exhibition are sculptures, first in Romanesque, then in Gothic style, jewelry, precious fabrics, and exquisite handmade items made of ivory.

In the section dedicated to the 15th century, there is painting, specifically works by ancient Dutch masters, displayed alongside those of Italian artists.

Outstanding artworks include bronze statuettes from a 1467 monument in honor of Isabella de Bourbon. They represent an impressive documentary evidence of the elaborate fashion of that time.

Next is a spacious Renaissance section, where 16th-century paintings are displayed. After this section, there are still lifes and paintings depicting scenes from everyday life.

On the second floor, in addition to the so-called Gallery of Honor with canvases by Rembrandt and Vermeer, one can admire many halls where the culture of the Dutch "Golden Age" is broadly represented through both paintings and items like furniture, silverware, tapestries, and everyday objects.

Following the chronological order, the first floor is dedicated to the 18th and 19th centuries, enriched with a wonderful section of ceramics and porcelain. Among the many paintings and elegant items, there is "Portrait of Don Ramon Satue" by the famous Spanish painter Francisco Goya, and a self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh.

The third floor features exhibitions related to the 20th century. Here, works by Dutch artists are displayed, and there are thematic sections dedicated to design, costume history, and the application of technology in everyday life.

The last paintings by Rembrandt are displayed in one of the central gallery rooms, directly before the "Night Watch" hall.

In his later years, the great painter continued to receive important commissions, such as the group portrait called "The Syndics", dated 1662, depicting five representatives of the drapers' guild and their secretary.

Also here is one of the artist's masterpieces, "The Jewish Bride".

This painting, which the artist completed a couple of years before his death, was not named by the painter himself and, in fact, may be misleading, as nothing confirms that it depicts a Jewish marriage.

The museum's most famous work is "The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch", traditionally known as "The Night Watch", painted in 1642.

This painting became famous for its large size, dramatic use of chiaroscuro, and the sensation of movement it gives the viewer, despite the fact that, according to the canons, a group portrait was supposed to be a static ceremonial portrait.

It depicts the arquebusiers of the Shooting Society on their way to a ceremonial parade through the streets of Amsterdam.

The painting was commissioned by the society's captain, Frans Cocq, who is depicted prominently next to his lieutenant.

Despite being a group portrait, Rembrandt managed to avoid a monotonous depiction of a row of stationary figures thanks to an innovative arrangement of characters on three levels according to their importance, adding dynamism to the scene unfolding in front of the Shooting Society building. Twenty-eight adults and three teenagers are depicted in motion, creating a sense of commotion.

In the painting, Rembrandt also appears: his self-portrait is located between the standard-bearer and a man in a helmet, but since the artist was short, only the upper part of his face is visible.

An interesting fact: "The Night Watch" is under constant guard, which is not without reason. This artwork is so famous that it has often attracted the attention of unstable individuals, who have attempted to damage it three times. In two instances, these were knife attacks, and in 1990, the painting was splashed with sulfuric acid.