Housed in a strikingly palatial building, Amsterdam’s famed Rijksmuseum is the largest museum in the country and home to a world-renowned collection of art and artifacts. The prime attraction is the magnificent exhibit of Dutch paintings from the 17th century, the legendary Golden Age. Inspiring highlights include 20 works by Rembrandt, 4 by Vermeer and several others by such famous masters as Frans Hals and Jan Steen. The historical focal point of the museum is Rembrandt’s large and fascinating canvas, The Nightwatch. Many other additional treasures are on display to excite and intrigue. Of particular note is a superb collection of Delftware.
The Masterpieces
Until 2013 the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam will undergo the biggest rebuilding, renovation and modernization program in its history. During this period the finest works from the 17th century in the Rijksmuseum will continue to be on view under the title ‘The Masterpieces’. The redesigned Philips Wing provides an opportunity to see 400 highlights of the Golden Age in surprising combinations. The famous dolls houses, the finest Delftware, a wealth of silver, icons of Dutch history and of course the paintings by the great masters of the 17th century, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Vermeer and Rembrandt, have a provisional new home in the Philips Wing. For many of these works this is the first time that they have left their place in the Rijksmuseum. Rembrandt’s Night Watch, for example, has rarely left the main building designed by Pierre Cuypers since it opened in 1885
