Thread: The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is justly famous for its collection of Dutch art. Whenever I’m in the city I try to visit every day & spend time with some of the greatest works in Western art history. Let’s take a look

Pieter de Hooch (1629-84) was a painter of genre scenes who is little known compared to Vermeer. Here we see a Dutch concern with order & work. Both were considered great attributes in austere contemporary culture. Interior with Women beside a Linen Chest (1663)

Here’s an overview of my Affordable Art Project where I explore themes of nature & the subconscious: https://twitter.com/robertbohan/status/1304004375048749056

Gerard ter Borch (1617-81) was another genre painter. His forte was in depicting textiles as seen in the lady’s satin dress. Coupled with Protestant austerity was a Dutch interest in prostitution. Here the Madam sips as the soldier examines the young woman (c1654)

Hendrick Avercamp (1585-1634) is famed for his ice scenes. Each picture is presented with a gentle humour & a love of incident. There’s a fallen skater & an upturned boat used as an outhouse. His work moves from anecdote to high art in his understanding of atmosphere (c1609)

Judith Leyster (1600/10-60) is perhaps the greatest female artist of the Dutch school. For years unscrupulous dealers presented her work as by Frans Hals. It’s only now, with greater scholarship, that she is recognised. The Serenade (1629)

Frans Hals (1581-1666) painted this enchanting wedding portrait. It’s unusual in that Beatrix is presented in her own right rather than just an ornament to her husband. Unusual too is that both she & Isaac are smiling. To smile was rare in portraits at the time (1622)

The Merry Drinker (c1628-30) is a famed painting by Hals. It’s both a portrait & a type depiction - here, a happy drunk. Hals’ genius was in his understanding of how brushwork would appear. Eschewing fine detail he painted with broad strokes which give energy to the image

In contrast, Johannes Verspronck (1597-1662) was a detail painter. Here a wealthy young girl looks out at us with a sad, perhaps bored, expression. For all that, this is a portrait with charisma. Who can blame the child for growing tired (1641) posing for eternity?

The Rijksmuseum holds two dolls’ houses. This one (c1686-1705) belonged to Petronella Oortman & was a rich woman’s toy. It’s importance is in showing what the interior of wealthy Dutch homes looked like, as well as the skill of craftsmen, of the time.

Rembrandt (1606-69) painted this tousled haired self-portrait c1628. Already we see his command of light & technique. The shining hairs are scratched into the panel using the end of his brush, revealing the under painting. It’s an image of doubt yet profound ability.

Some 30 years later (1661) he painted himself as the apostle Paul. Few artists can achieve the honesty of this level. He clearly enjoyed painting his bulbous honker & viewed his own face with a mixture of acceptance & wry amusement. It’s as if he acknowledges his own decay.

This is one of my favourite little paintings by Rembrandt. Jeremiah (1630) is lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem. The feeling of sadness & loss is palpable. The miller’s son really understood & translated emotion. Viewed in the museum, the sadness is devastating.

Known as The Jewish Bride (c1665), this canvas of Isaac & Rebecca is arguably the greatest works in Western art. The couple commune in an intensity of love, the hands form a ballet of belonging & the paint fizzes with intensity. Rembrandt at his very best.

Vermeer (1632-75) painted this maid c1658. Light is his subject; falling from the window, revealing arms, milk, bread & copper. A mouse trap lies on the floor behind her, just as Delft tiles are behind it. This is a homage to the everyday, to plenty & to the dignity of work.

This woman reads a letter, her correspondent hinted at in the map. Again this image is about light - but it is also about space. The chair, the table, the woman & the map occupy separate depths. Finally there is the exquisite blur of her gown (c1663)

Here is Delft (c1658); exact whereabout irrelevant. Use of Camera Obscura equally tedious as a point. Vermeer painted with genius. Incidents are revealed, old bricks moulded, shutters hang awry & children play. Here is life.

Adam van Vianen (c1569-1627) was one of the greatest Dutch artists. As his work was mainly in silver most people have never heard of him. However if you look at his silver gilt ewer (1614) you can see that he was a master of his craft as well as an early proponent of abstraction.

Gabriël Metsu (c1660) painted The Sick Child. It seems an unlikely subject. Here the mother comforts & monitors as the artist tries to distract. The child’s face, pale with illness, watches Metsu as he captures her listlessness, her mother’s concern & a moment of domesticity.

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