On a recent trip to Amsterdam I decided to visit the newly re-opened Rijksmuseum dedicated to Dutch Art and the history of the Netherlands. I’d read a very positive review of the museum by art critic and TV presenter Waldemar Januszczak which encouraged me to brave the crowds and queues to pay homage to Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals.
I was not disappointed. It was difficult to spend huge amounts of time studying some of the more well known paintings, however I managed to make a couple of charcoal studies of one of Rembrandt’s later self portraits and a section of his “The Denial of St Peter” in my moleskine sketchbook . If you’re visiting Amsterdam then put the Rijksmuseum on your radar but buy your ticket beforehand and get there early!
Also on the trip I took the opportunity to gather reference for some new paintings to add to my collection. I worked up dome of my studies into two studio paintings. One was of windmills, the other of bikes by a canal. Bikes are a very common site around Amsterdam.