Art History in the Dutch Republic

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Art History and the Dutch Republic

The Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands. We tell the story of 800 years of Dutch history, from 1200 to now.

The Rijksmuseum houses more than 8,000 works of art from Dutch and European history, including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh.

How it started

On 19 November 1798 the government decided to establish a national museum, which was intended as a ‘prestige project’ to inspire patriotic feeling.

This National Art Gallery first opened its doors on 31 May 1800 in Huis Ten Bosch. 

It brought together more than 200 paintings and historical objects from both the stadtholders’ collections and national institutions like the Dutch East India Company. 

When the Rijksmuseum first opened 200 years ago, it wasn’t in Amsterdam. So where did it start out?

1. Huis Ten Bosch - The Hague
2. Houses of Parliament - The Hague
3. Palace "Het Loo" - Apeldoorn
4. "Het Torentje" - The Hague

And then this guy came around

And then this guy came around...

Who was he?

1. Louis Napoleon
2. Catherina the Great
3. Napoleon Bonaparte
4. Philip II

Where did he move the national museum to?

1. The newly built Rijksmuseum
2. The Royal Palace on Dam Square
3. The collection of the king
4. The city museum of Amsterdam

Napoleon moved the national collections to the country’s new capital of Amsterdam. To the Royal Palace on Dam Square, originally the town hall.  This Royal Museum officially opened in 1809 on the palace’s top floor.

With grand art galleries going up all over Europe, the Netherlands deserved a proud national museum building of its own. Trippenhuis was unsuitable. That opened the way to build something new. Pierre Cuypers was chosen to be the architect.

Cuypers designed the Rijksmuseum in a historicizing style, blending Gothic and Renaissance elements with a wealth of national symbolism.

When did the Rijksmuseum open?

1. 1880
2. 1890
3. 1895
4. 1885

Who is the painter and what is the painting called?

Renovation

During the most recent renovation (2003-2013), the museum was restored to Cuypers’ original architectural plan. This renovation took so long, that there was a lot of national pride when it opened again.

Time for a little tour...

and some Rijksmuseum marketing.

Art in the Dutch Republic

Before the Golden Age

Before the Dutch Golden Age, the church was the most important client for art. This changes when prosperity flourishes.  Art is more and more made for rich citizens. The trade of the VOC ensures there is enough money to buy art.

Art is now also to show off your wealth.

According to calculations, in the seventeenth century, how many were made in the Republic?

1. 4.000.000
2. 5.000.000
3. 6.000.000
4. 7.000.000

What kind of paintings were common in this period?

1. landscapes
2. still lifes
3. portraits
4. daily life scenes