Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Infobox Museum
name = Rijksmuseum Amsterdam


imagesize = 300
established = 1800
location = Museumplein Amsterdam, Netherlands
type = National museum
visitors = 1,100,488 (2002) [The year 2002 was the last full year without renovations and restorations. Source of number of visitors: cite web
title = Cijfers naar soort bezoekers
work = [http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/ www.rijksmuseum.nl]
publisher = Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
url = http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/organisatie/bezoekcijfers/soortbezoekers?lang=nl
accessdate = 2007-04-01 ]
director = Ronald de Leeuw
curator = Peter Sigmond
website = [http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/ www.rijksmuseum.nl] The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam or Rijksmuseum (English: State Museum) is a Dutch national museum in Amsterdam, located on the Museumplein. The museum is dedicated to arts, crafts, and history. It has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age and a substantial collection of Asian art.

Foundation

The museum was founded in 1800 in The Hague to exhibit the collections of the Dutch stadtholders. It was inspired by French example. By then it was known as the National Art Gallery (Dutch: "Nationale Kunst-Gallerij"). In 1808 the museum moved to Amsterdam on the orders of king Louis Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. The paintings owned by that city, such as "The Night Watch" by Rembrandt, became part of the collection.

Cuypers' building

In 1863 there was a design contest for a new building for the Rijksmuseum, but none of the submissions was considered to be of sufficient quality. Pierre Cuypers also participated in the contest and his submission reached the second place. In 1876 a new contest was held and this time Pierre Cuypers won. The design was a combination of gothic and renaissance elements. The construction began on October 1, 1876. On both the inside and the outside, the building was richly decorated with references to Dutch art history. Another contest was held for these decorations. The winners were B. van Hove and J.F. Vermeylen for the sculptures, G. Sturm for the tile tableaus and painting and W.F. Dixon for the stained glass. The museum was opened at its new location on July 13, 1885.cite web
title = Stadhouderskade 42. Rijksmuseum (1876/85)
work = [http://www.bmz.amsterdam.nl/adam/ Monumenten en Archeologie in Amsterdam]
publisher = City of Amsterdam
url = http://www.bma.amsterdam.nl/adam/nl/msp/rijksmuseum.html
accessdate = 2007-04-01 ]

The front of the museum is located at the Stadhouderskade, but on the other side it has a prominent position on the Museumplein, nowadays among the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Concertgebouw.

In 1890 a fragment building was added to the Rijksmuseum. This building was made out of fragments of demolished buildings that together give an overview of the Dutch history of architecture. In 1906 the hall for the "The Night Watch" was rebuilt. In the interior more changes were made, between the 1920s and 1950s most multi-coloured wall decorations were painted over. In the 1960s exposition rooms and several floors were built into the two courtyards. The building had some minor renovations and restorations in 1984, 1995–1996 and 2000.cite web
title = Stadhouderskade 42. Rijksmuseum (1876/85). Interieur
work = [http://www.bmz.amsterdam.nl/adam/ Monumenten en Archeologie in Amsterdam]
publisher = City of Amsterdam
url = http://www.bma.amsterdam.nl/adam/nl/msp/rijksi.html
accessdate = 2007-04-01 ] From 2003 until 2010 [cite web
title = Visitor information
work = [http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/ www.rijksmuseum.nl]
publisher = Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
url = http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/info?lang=en
accessdate = 2007-04-09 ] (or as late as 2013) the Rijksmuseum will be restored and renovated based on a design by Spanish architects Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz. Many of the old interior decorations will be restored and the floors in the courtyards will be removed. During the restoration and renovation process only a few paintings from the permanent collection are on display in an exhibition called "The Masterpieces" in the already renovated fragment building, nowadays called the Philips wing. [cite web
title = Final Design The New Rijksmuseum
work = [http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/hetnieuwerijksmuseum/ The New Rijksmuseum]
publisher = Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
url = http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/hetnieuwerijksmuseum/definitief-ontwerp?lang=en
accessdate = 2007-04-01 ]

Library

The Rijksmuseum Research Library is part of the Rijksmuseum, and is the largest public art history research library in The Netherlands.

Collection

The paintings collection includes works by artists Jacob van Ruysdael, Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt and Rembrandt's pupils.

Rembrandt

The Paintings in the collection by Rembrandt van Rijn:
*"The Night Watch"
*"The Sampling Officials"
*"The Jewish Bride"
*"The Anatomical Lesson of Dr. Deyman"
*"Peter Denying Christ"
*"Saskia with a Veil"
*"Portrait of Titus in a Monk Habit"
*"Self Portrait as the Apostle Paul"
*"Tobias, Anna and the Goat"

Johannes Vermeer

Paintings in the collection by Johannes Vermeer:
*"The Milkmaid"
*"The Love Letter"
*"Woman in Blue Reading a Letter"
*"The Little Street"

Frans Hals

Paintings in the collection by Frans Hals:
*"Portrait of a Young Couple"
*"The Company of Reynier Real"
*"The Jolly Drinker"
*"Portrait of Lucas De Clercq"
*"Portrait of Nicolaes Hasselaer"
*"Portrait of a Man"

Jan Steen

Paintings in the collection by Jan Steen.
*"The Feast of Saint Nicholas
*"The Drunken Pair"
*"The Toilet"
*"Adolf en Catharina Croeser"
*"Arent Oostwaard and his wife"

References

"Rijksmuseum overhaul now facing 2013 finish" in The International Herald Tribune. February 28, 2008.

External links

* [http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/ Rijksmuseum Amsterdam] – in six languages
* [http://masterpieces.asemus.museum/index.aspx Virtual Collection of Masterpieces (VCM)]