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Posts tagged ‘Netherlands’

Sep 8

Russian beard tax
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Peter the Great Trendsetter: National Change through Fashion

The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs to post on a common theme.  This month we are discussing Fashion!  Take a look at all the great stories at the bottom of the page.

Peter the Great statue

A Monument to Peter the Great in Taganrog, Russia (Photo)

Peter the Great (1672 – 1725) is a legitimate candidate for the the Most Interesting Man in the World.  Physically impressive at 6 foot 8 inches tall, he disregarded his royal status and sought out hands-on experience with the military, international trade, and sailing technology.  Realizing this country needed an Atlantic shipping port, he planned and constructed St. Petersburg from absolutely nothing.  Peter I’s reign was a revolutionary time for Russia; he brought the nation from medieval neglect to the Age of Enlightenment.  Emblematic of the massive political and technological changes he made, Peter’s reforms included forcing Russians to completely update their wardrobe – which was not nearly as easy as it sounds.

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Feb 23

Main hall, Gallery of Honor Rijksmuseum
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My Rijksmuseum Layover in Amsterdam

I like to book my international flights with a long layover in an “extra” city.  This lets me sneak out of the airport and enjoy a new place for the day before moving on to my actual destination.  If you can get past the jet-lag, this is great option because really, nothing starts off an incredible trip to Turkey like lunch beside Notre Dame in Paris!

So when I visited Israel last year, I made sure to take care of some unfinished business in Amsterdam with a layover specifically designed to see the re-opened Rijksmuseum.  The renovations went far beyond repairing the structure; the museum today presents a truly innovative approach to art and culture!  It was well worth the extra stop in Amsterdam.

rijksmuseum re-opening countdown clock

The Rijksmuseum’s “Night Watch”-themed reopening countdown clock teasing me back in April 2013.

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Jan 5

Vincent van Gogh - The Sower
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Van Gogh 2015: 125 Years of Inspiration

The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs to post on a common theme.  This month we are discussing the 2015 Art Outlook.  Check out all the stories below!

Van Gogh 2015If you’re like me, then you spend January contemplating where to go in the New Year.  Do you plan several small trips close to home, or is this the year of the big, adventure getaway?  While you think about that, let me try to tempt you with a few art pilgrimages options to see one of the greatest painters of Western Art – Vincent Van Gogh.  In honor of the 125th anniversary of his death this year, several superb museums in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France will be hosting events and exhibits celebrating his unique and visionary art.

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Jun 16

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The Airport Rijksmuseum: Best Layover Ever

Lay-overs can be excruciating.  The anticipation of arriving at a new destination or finally getting home makes it hard to keep reading your “airplane book” on the ground.  You can only browse the duty free stores for so long.  And really, how many laps can you walk through the terminal before that starts to get old?  For the art lover or curious traveler, salvation from airport lay-over boredom can be found at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport which contains a mini Rijksmuseum!  It’s actually worth planning to have a lay-over in Amsterdam just to check it out!

viewing Rijksmuseum, SChiphol aiport amsterdam

There is always time to fit in a little more art when you travel! Travelers visit the mini Rijksmuseum at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam.

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Jun 2

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Painting with Light: Vermeer’s Interior Scenes

The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs to post on a common theme.  This month we picked an abstract topic – Light.  Check out all the creative stories below!

I timed my last international trip perfectly.  My entire 12 hour lay-over in Amsterdam would be devoted to seeing the newly renovated Rijksmuseum.  It was definitely worth powering through the jet-lag to visit this incredible collection in its elegant new galleries!

Vermeer, "Woman Reading a Letter", Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Johannes Vermeer, “Woman Reading a Letter”, 1664, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

While looking at the Dutch masterpieces in the main gallery including Vermeer’s Woman Reading a Letter, Mr. Tourist asked innocently, “So why are Vermeer’s paintings so famous?”

Without even hesitating I answered, “It’s how he painted light.”

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