Favorites from the Rijskmuseum

The Jewish Bride, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1665-1669

There are many interpretations as to the subject of this large oil painting which measures 121.5 cm by 166.5 cm. Art historians believe it represents the biblical characters of Isaac and Rebecca. It is a painting that certainly captures a tender and intimate moment between husband and wife.

Detail of the Jewish Bride

Notice the facial expression of the bride. It speaks volumes and has intrigued me from the first time I saw her.

The Architecture Window, William Francis Dixon

Four women represent phases of of architectural styles: Classic, Early Christian, Gothic, and Renaissance. These windows are in the hall leading to the Gallery of Honor.

The Little Street, Johannes Vermeer, 1657-1658

There are 36 paintings attributed to Johannes Vermeer. Of these, two are townscapes and The Little Street is one of them. Recent studies by Professor Frans Grijzenhout from the University of Amsterdam has identified the location of this street on Vlamingstraat in Delft. The original house no longer exists but the gate is still in place. Further, the house on the right belonged to Vermeer's aunt, Arianentgen Claes van der Minne. She was a tripe vendor. Hence the name of the gate between the two houses, Penspoort or Tripe Gate.

Mondrian dress, Yves Saint Laurent, 1965

This striking dress is made of wool with silk lining, one of six created by French couturier, Yves Saint Laurent. The inspiration for this dress are the abstract geometric works of Dutch artist, Piet Mondrian who is one of the founders of the De Stijl movement. Mondrian's paintings are composed of lines and rectangles and his palette is limited to black, gray and white and three primary colors - blue, red and yellow.

The Rijksmuseum Research Library

The Library has over 250,000 titles including catalogs, periodicals, annual reports and books which it has collected since 1885. It is the largest art history library in the Netherlands focusing on art of Western Europe from the Middle Ages to early 20th century. Its objective is "partly to provide documentary information to support the mission of the Rijksmuseum, and partly to consolidate and expand the position of an academic art historical library of national importance". It is open to the public for free but books or periodicals may not be checked out of the premises.

For more information about the museum, check their website www.rijksmuseum.nl.

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Images by TravelswithCharie (November 2016)

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...

The Philippine Village Life by Vicente Silva Manansala

Pamilya (Family) With the completion of their new headquarters in Manila in 1961, PhilAm Life (a life insurance company) commissioned Vicente Silva Manansala to do a series of paintings for their cafeteria. (Lucky employees!) Before long these seven large-scale paintings about Philippine village life were moved to the front lobby which was deemed a more appropriate setting for the canvases. They remained there until the building was sold in 2012. Mindful of the cultural significance of the paintings and the need for its preservation and conservation, the management of PhilAm Life decided to loan these treasures to the National Museum in 2014. “Pamilya reflects Filipino values of family solidarity and solemnity showing a common scenario of praying before sharing a meal with one’s family.” National Museum of the Philippines Pagkain (Food) One of the Thirteen Moderns and Neo Realists, Vicente Silva Manansala had the good fortune to study art in Canada, the United States, France and Switz...

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called Kasaysayan ng Maynila (History of Manila). The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and...

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