rijksmuseum amsterdam

rijksmuseum amsterdam. poster with marten and oopjen. patrice, barbara and ariane walking towards the museum

almost four hundred years after rembrandt van rijn painted the opulently clad aristocrats marten soolmans and oopjen coppit, the amsterdam rijksmuseum is showing both life size portraits for the short period of just three months. 

spine d'acacia, by giuseppe penone - summer sculpture display at the rijksmuseum

 in the fall both marten and oopjen will move to the restoration rooms, before emerging next in the paris louvre. later, the paintings will be on permanent exchange and display between holland and france, because both countries are co owners of the works.  

marten and oopjen cheesecake at the rijksmuseum tearoom

four centuries ago rembrandt painted these portraits as a young and republic holland rose in the world, during the golden age. reading the detailed paintings' identity cards and looking at the exquisite clothes details rembrandt used in his duo portrait i can't but wonder ... 

rembrandt hall. in the right hand corner the now invisible marten and oopjen, for the crowds

... and as i sat on a museum stool and counterbalanced the {invisible} peaceful presence of marten and oopjen in the corner to the mob pushing by... how much the world as seemingly changed and perhaps how little it really has, if we're talking displays. 

from japan modern, turn of the 20th century woodcut art from japan

a far bigger impression on me left a japanese woodcut prints show weaving together turn of the century 'new prints' and 'creative' prints from the early 20th century, by contrasting pictorial subjects to more general and time related subject matter. 

japan before and after the all destroying earthquake of 1923

female portraits, evocative landscapes, modern world themes, city life and industrial scenery alternate in hall after hall of perfect vintage bliss, leaving all the room to my imagination to start up again straight away in my own studio. it was an unexpected gift.  

cliffhanger for ariane. ♥

next up : miss stuttgart's sessions, chez patrice. 
more HOLLAND images to follow. find here part I