The Rijksmuseum, inaugurated in 1885 and modernized between 2004 and 2013, showcases a vast collection of Dutch and Flemish art, including significant works from the Northern Renaissance. The museum features diverse artifacts and paintings organized chronologically, reflecting the prosperity of 17th century Dutch society and its influence on art and culture. Key artists highlighted include Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Frans Hals, whose works embody the shift towards middle-class representation in art during this period.

1. ijksmuseum
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Home of Dutch Paintings
First created, July 2008. Version 3.0. 23 Jan 2022, London. Jerry Daperro.

2. This relief panel is on the façade of the museum. It inscribed the official opening date of the
museum, 1885.
Rijksmuseum 13 July 1885

3. In 2004, the museum began a modernization project. The main features were to build two
glass-roof atriums, covering the existing enclosed quadrangles. This is the ticketing
Auditorium. The project was completed in 2013,
Rijksmuseum Ticket Auditorium

4. Apart from the well-known collection of paintings, the museum also has a variety of artefacts
on displays. Like this magnificent German desk was made in flamboyant Rococo style.
Unusually, it has a 3D inlays picture of a room, made from various woods, tortoiseshell, silver,
mother of pearl, copper, ivory and gilded bronze mounting.
A General Museum

5. The different galleries are organized in chronological order from the Middle Age to Modern Art
and photography.
Museum Display Arrangement

6. Netherlandish Painting
“Early Netherlandish painting,
traditionally known as the Flemish
Primitives, refers to the work of
artists active in the Burgundian
and Habsburg Netherlands during
the 15th- and 16th-century
Northern Renaissance period. It
flourished especially in the cities
of Bruges, Ghent, Mechelen,
Leuven, Tournai and Brussels, all
in present-day Belgium. The
period begins approximately with
Robert Campin.” Wikipedia

7. Crivelli Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (Detail). C1487. 152x49 cm. Tempera on panel. Carlo Crivelli. Italian.

8. Avercamp – Ice skaters
Early Dutch landscape of winter scene, packed with numerous crafted persons enjoying themselves.

9. Avercamp – Ice skaters. Details

10. Avercamp – Ice skaters. Details

11. Honthorst - Causal Portrait
Honthorst was a follower of
Caravaggio. Also known for
his immortalized momentary
laughter.

12. Portrait by Frans Hals
Frans Hals was one of the
best portraitist of his time.
He worked very fast.

13. Rembrandt’s self-portrait

14. Ketel - Official Portrait of Civil Duties

15. Frans Hals - Official Portrait of Civil Duties
One of best known Frans Hals official portraits of part-time soldiers.

16. Detail of Militia Company of District XI (previous slide). Frans Hals did a good job of making
middle age men playing soldiers, looking glamorous and believable.
Frans Hals - Official Portrait of Civil Duties. Details

17. Holst - Official Portrait of Civil Duties

18. Holst - Official Portrait of Civil Duties. Details

19. Rembrandt‘s Call to duty.

20. Rembrandt‘s Call to duty. Detail.

21. Bueckelaer – Well Stocked Kitchen

22. The Luxury of Still Life.

23. Dijck - Still Life. Cheese. Detail.

24. Heda - Still Life with Gilt Cup

25. Bollongier - Still Life of Flowers.

26. Potter - Horses

27. Mother swan defends the Dutch egg from the English dog.
Asselyn - Swan

28. Saenredam - Townscape

29. Vermeer - Delft

30. Rembrandt – Jewish Bride

31. Vermeer – Kitchen Maid

32. Vermeer – Kitchen Maid. Detail.

33. Vermeer – Woman Reading a Letter

34. Jan Steen, A painter of humorous
scenes of the common folk
Steen – Teaching a Cat to Dance.

35. Jan Steen – Another warm hearted animated scene.
Steen – The Merry Family.

36. Ruisdael – View of Haarlem

37. Both – Italian Landscape

38. Italian Landscape with Draughtsman (Detail).
Both – Italian Landscape. Detail.

39. Jacob Ruisdael best known landscape painting of the sea and sky.
Ruisdael – Mill at Wijk-bij-Duurstede.

40. Rembrandt – The Stone Bridge

41. Hooch – The Pantry

42. Metsu – The Sick Child
Another mother, another child by
Michelangelo?

43. Willem Velde the Younger – The Cannon Shot.

44. Wieringen – Explosion of the Spanish Flagship

45. Wieringen – Explosion of the Spanish Flagship. Detail.

46. Van Gogh – Self Portrait.

47. The Museum Library

49. 17th Century Dutch Society
The 17th century Dutch society enjoyed unprecedented wealth. Its prosperity was
based on her marine trade. Her supremacy in trading were derived from two
advantages. The first was the technology to construct a faster and lighter ship for its
trade. The second was her ability to pool together the wealth of her citizen to
provide a large source risk capital for commerce (capitalism).
Even in our casual glance on the history of her paintings on the period shows how
these wealth were permeated into the creation of the middle class. (You can see a
rising popularity of small format paintings, which was an indication that the ‘common’
citizen were wealthy enough to buy paintings for their homes.)
The ‘dad’s army’, in which ordinary citizen served, to carry out their civic duty is a
reflection of their politics. Dutch was governed as a republic (with no monarch).
Several well known large-scale paintings of these civic guards are in the collection
at the Rijksmuseum, including one by Frans Hals and one by Rembrandt.
One striking feature of these paintings is the lacking of religious subject matters.
Why do you think it is the case?

50. Music – Gymnopedie for piano No 1
performed on guitar by Dominic Miller.
The End
This is the second glass roof atrium, which accommodates a café and a shop, as part of the modernization project.

51. Dutch & Flemish Painters