Holland – Day 3
Van Gogh and Rembrandt – April 14
Today was colder than yesterday, and there were some drizzles, but nothing that deterred us from going out. As we planned yesterday, after seeing the long line at the Van Gogh Museum, we arrived promptly at 9:00 this morning to get our tickets. When we got to the ticket window, my mom asked for two adults and one child ticket – because my sister is under the age of 17. Right away, the lady in the kiosk pointed to me in order to identify the child in the family, and quickly apologized when she realized she was mistaken. No hard feelings! Even though we had arrived early this morning, the museum was still quite crowded!
I enjoyed the Van Gogh Museum more than I thought I would, and definitely more than the overwhelming enormity of 
the Rijksmuseum from yesterday. The layout was very doable and was organized in a way that aided the viewer on his or her journey. I also think it was a little bit of a blessing that the museum was slightly crowded, because it forced us to look at the artwork in an almost conveyor-belt style, unlike in the Rijksmuseum or the Metropolitan Museum in New York, where it is very easy to just skip around and not pay attention to the artwork around you. I also appreciated the focus of the museum, as it is dedicated mostly to one artist (though there were some pieces by Van Gogh’s contemporaries as well as a special exhibit which I will touch briefly upon in a moment). The first floor was organized in a chronological display, aiding the viewer in understanding the history of Van Gogh’s progression as an artist. Other rooms were organized by the colors used by the artist, as well as the subjects he painted.
The top two floors of the museum were dedicated to another artist, Félix Vallotton, who worked in the late 19th century in a style very much different from Van Gogh. His subject matter spoke to me greatly, as many of his pieces were dedicated to gender roles and the relationship between man and women, a topic that I have been focusing on in 
detail in my current Art History paper (again, for my Sexual Difference class). Some of his works were woodblock prints in stark black and white. I really like this medium of art because of its bluntness and graphic nature. Also on display were oil and tempera paintings, many were nude women, either reclining, or interacting with each other. I think it is a shame, though, that the museum chose to advertise the exhibit dedicated to this varied artist with an image as ugly as the one they chose (Back From the Sea). If anything, the image deterred me from wanting to explore Vallotton’s wing of the museum.
The Slaying of Orpheus –
The reason I picked the above picture (out of all of his paintings and prints) is because it depicts a scene that I learned about in my art history class. Here, Orpheus is being slain by women because of his renunciation of women after the loss of his wife, Eurydice. In my sexual difference course, I learned that Orpheus can be considered one of the first homosexuals in mythology.
Self Portrait –
I really needed to post this painting of the artist because, first and foremost, I think it’s a lovely portrait. Secondly, doesn’t he kind of look like Teddy Roosevelt? Thirdly, the description of the painting by the curator made my heart weep just a little bit. Apparently, at the outset of World War I, Vallotton applied for the army but was turned down because of his age. This rejection caused him to feel useless, and the curator points out the sadness in his face in this particular portrait. I think it’s interesting what a mere description can do to one’s feelings towards a painting. I learned about how much power words can have in our perception of art in John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, a book that I 
recommend for all interested in artwork.
Study of Buttocks –
One cannot leave the museum without being enchanted and hypnotized by Vallotton’s amazingly realistic and beautiful depiction of a woman’s behind. This was my mom’s favorite piece in all of Holland! I can’t blame her, it is a very nice rear end, is it not?
After our visit to the museum, which lasted about two hours, we made our way to the large, outdoor Albert Cuypmarket. There, I had my first taste of poffertjes, or mini-pancakes. I don’t know what was put in those little things, but they were DELICIOUS! I gobbled them up in no time. The market stalls seemed to be extensions of the permanent stores behind them. I enjoyed all the clothing that was on display, even though I didn’t buy anything. Again, I’m really loving the vintage/thrift shops over here! Despite my elation and excitement about the market, my feet really were killing me and I had to rest. We took the tram for the last time, as our tickets would soon expire, up to the old Jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam for the next leg of our journey.
The Jewish Historical Museum, located in the old Jewish Cultural Quarter, was not something to write home about in my opinion. The first exhibit space was dedicated to general Jewish ritual practices, such as bris (circumcision), b’nai mitzvot (coming of age), and weddings. There were some videos throughout the space, however, dedicated specifically to Jewish life in Amsterdam during the early 1900s. Actual historic artifacts and facsimiles of primary documents were held on the upper level, which told of the history of Jews in the Netherlands, and particularly, in Amsterdam. There was a great difference between the Sephardic and Ashkenazi populations, the former being more affluent than the latter and later group of peasants. The final room was dedicated to Dutch Jews of the 20th century and included a brief discussion on the Holocaust. Was this visit a must? I don’t think so.
Because it’s currently Passover, the Portuguese Synagogue (a Sephardic temple) neighboring the museum (which used to be the old Ashkenazi temple) is closed, and won’t open again until later in the week. So instead of stopping by there next, we walked to the Rembrandt House Museum (after stopping for a tasty pesto and cheese bagel). Walking through the house and seeing old paintings by Rembrandt and his contemporaries was okay, and perhaps my lack of excitement comes from not using an audio tour. I didn’t want to spend the time learning about the specifics of his life, as I was getting really tired and my feet had been hurting for a while. What really sparked my interest, however, was the demonstration in Rembrandt’s studio on how to mix pigments and oil to create paint. I even took a turn at emulsifying the mixture! There was also an etching workshop in which visitors are able to create their own etching plates and prints, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to participate because I had missed the last group session.
And then I was homeward bound. We quickly passed by Zuiderkerk, a church that isn’t open to the public, for a photo-op, and then I separated from the other two to come back to the hotel and pass out. Malka and Mom wanted to walk around and take pictures of bridges. Malka also had a huge urge to go back to the Red Light District, which she constantly reminds us is her favorite area of the city.
Malka and Mom had been out for around two hours when they finally returned and woke me up. We went to eat dinner at an Italian restaurant right next to our hotel, and then went to have dessert at the same ice-cream place as the night before. This time, I got a Nutella waffle all for myself!
