The Rijksmuseum

The National Museum is about half a block away and the Van Gogh Museum isn't much further. Who could resist.

A bicycle and pedestrian path run through the center of the building

A busy bike path runs right through the building causing an interesting interaction between tourists who don't yet grasp the fact that bicycles seem to have the right of way and the  Dutch cyclist who are quite skilled at maneuvering through the hordes. Collisions seem rare although near misses are frequent.

The building first opened in 1885 and underwent a huge 10 year renovation beginning In 2003. It has large number of art objects on display covering the years 1200–2000, among which are some masterpieces by Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer and by Rembrandt including the familiar Night Watch.

The Night Watch

We were fascinated by the techniques used by portrait artists still used today by photographers. An interesting example is a style in which the subject reached beyond the frame. It is a trick still used, or perhaps rediscovered by photographers today.

Here are a couple of examples. In the first the goldsmith reached out a window ti show you a ring he had made and in the second a fiddler reaches out to give you a toast, inviting to join him

These are from the 1600's. It worked then and it works now.

Outside the Museum is the famous IAMSTERDAM sign where scores of tourists come to get their picture taken. It was very busy on at the front so we thought why not use the back to take Shelley's picture.

Perhaps it would have looked better from the other side