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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.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie (November 2016)


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Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

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