Photos: Rijkmuseum
The first floor is a history of the Nederlands, including the Dutch East India Company and their naval fleet powers. They also had some furniture, clothing, pottery, etc. from the early 1500s-1800s. On the second floor was the showcase of famous Dutch painters. They had sections for Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, etc. Vermeer easily became a new favorite. He did 'Girl with the Pearl Earring', which I really like, though it wasn't on display when I went (visiting the Hague) and some others which I'll post pictures of later. There was a whole section of his work that looked more like photography than painting, the effect of which I think is pretty cool. Rembrandt, of course, always impressive.
Some cultural notes about Amsterdam. They pride themselves on being the land of tolerance. They "tolerate" marijuana, prostitution, and homosexuality, all of which I think is pretty progressive. Although marijuana isn't technically legal, soft drugs are "tolerated", as in you won't get in trouble and they still sell it in most coffeeshops. They also have an extensive gay and lesbian population, with themed bars, clubs, stores, etc. I think Derek mentioned it was the #1 gay population in the world?
Photo: Johannes Vermeer's The Milkmaid (on display at the Rijkmuseum)
Photo: Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring (on display at the Hague)
Photo: Johannes Vermeer's The Little Street (on display at the Rijkmuseum)
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