Blog Post 6: Rijksmuseum and Beauty

Experiencing the culture and city life within Amsterdam would be at the top of my traveling bucket list.
The Rijksmuseum especially peaks my interest, the historical and artistic values deriving from this museum would make
a delightful stop within Amsterdam.
After viewing a few of the art pieces held within the museum I would like to point out a few that I found to be compelling.

The first art piece being Still Life With Flowers In a Glass by Jan Brueghel (II) with the dimensions being 24.5 cm tall and 19cm wide, and the media being oil paint on canvas. At first glance it is apparent that it is a still life of multiple flowers in a glass vase from the baroque era due to the deep contrast in dark and light. Looking closer at the top of the painting a butterfly sits atop of what seems to be a daisy, further down is a dragonfly next to a very fluffy unidentifiable flower. In the middle there is a ladybug that exemplifies baroque lighting with the glossiness of its shell; the texture of the shell compliments the dark glass vase that cups the flowers together, and ultimately brings the composition of light and dark together. The glass vase almost seems to illuminate the dark brown table with the shimmering inlaid details being directed at the vase, these amazingly intricate details showcase the Baroque era’s emphasis upon lighting. Plus there’s also an astonishingly elegant fly sitting on the table looking incredibly gallant.

The second art piece is Self Portrait by Rembrandt van Rijn, oil on panel, its dimensions are 33.2 cm high and 29.3 cm wide. This is, as stated by the title, a self portrait of Rembrandt van Rijn, the painting is framed from van Rijn’s shoulders up. Although a majority of the painting is coated in darkness van Rijn still manages to capture the absolute beauty and grace of his luscious hairstyle. The dramatic lighting accompanied with the sharp lines upon his hair further accentuates his amazing curls, and also contrasts the eternal dejection within his eyes. It is almost like he is saying “My life may be a never-ending pit of sorrow and despair, but my hairstyle never ceases to dazzle onlookers”. But seriously, the deep contrast in lighting accentuates van Rijn’s dramatic facial expression, and the piercing eye contact only makes it more shocking.

My third and final art piece is Girl in a Large Hat by Caesar Boëtius van Everdingen, with oil on canvas it is 92.2 cm high and 87.1 cm wide. The painting encompasses an exotically dressed girl that is holding a bowl of olives while staring affectionately into the distance, past the viewer. However, as the viewer looks closer, there are a plethora of intricate details hidden throughout the art piece. Details such as the bends and curls within the folds of the hat, the curled hair twirling around her forehead with the ribbon from her hat, the blush in her cheeks, and astonishingly complex bowl that she holds. Each etching within the bowl is further accentuated by the shadow encompassing it, and creating a very refined depth. Another elaborate aspect of this painting is the use of olives, which symbolizes purity and virginity for weddings as stated by Mother Nature Network. All of this is surrounded by a beautiful landscape and orange saturated sunlight looming in the distance, the painting overall is stunning for its lighting and intense attention to detail.

I had never realized how amazingly fascinating Amsterdam’s art was, I thought it was simply a city for stoners that love marijuana.
However, I now have a newfound respect for Amsterdam and its deep history that is held within it thanks to the Rijksmuseum.