Jewels, Olaf and the things we let go.

Erwin Olaf.  I saw his work years ago at SECCA in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and fell in love.  He turned 60 years old and he celebrated with. Huge exhibition in The Hague which I was lucky enough to attend in a April.  He also donated 500 works from his oeuvre to the Rijksmuseum, 12 of which were on display alongside the works that inspired them.  As much as I love Olaf, this exhibition disappointed me. The framing and display was so poorly done that it distracted me from the emotional tension of his photographs. Here’s a couple of examples.

 The mats are poorly coordinated— too orange (this from a girl who LOVES orange) and pick up the dominate color in the photograph. Matting should compliment not be the thing you notice.  And the frames were horrendous!! Did I complain loudly?? Yes.  Did the guard just looks at me like I was an entitled American?  Well, yes.  But it is insulting to see beautiful work insulted by someone’s laziness.  I spoke my mind and then I had to let it go.

Dutchboy found this video by Olaf to be fascinating.  Every minute for 10 days Olaf took a photo of a bunch of tulips.  He then compiled them in a video sequence.  It’s lovely and very sad to watch them fade. He made the work as a tribute to his Mother.

Here are other photos from our time in the Rijksmuseum. 

The Museum is starting a conservation effort on the NightWatch, so it is under glass right now, as they x-ray it (I believe they said that it would take 60 days to complete the x-ray process) and then a study will be done to determine how best to preserve the work.  All of this was written on teh wall near the painting, explained in detail.  I heard three American couples get upset they couldn't see it better and asking the guard why this had to be done. I cringed. Clearly, we can't read signs.

On the way to the door, we ran into some Playmobil friends who agreed to pose for a picture.

Then it was outside to sunny skies and beautifully warm weather to find a snack, before tackling another museum!

We walked from Museumplein to Waterlooplein to have a bite at Amstelhoeck--our favorite snack place because the bitterballen are good, the beer is good and the view is excellent.

Then it was off for an afternoon of Russian Imperial Jewels at The Hermitage, Amsterdam.  A trip to the Hermitage is always fantastic.  They have the most exquisite collections and they certainly now how to display them.  They educate, inform and delight.  It isn't the prettiest museum in the world, but it is on of my very favorites!  I'm not going to give you a blow-by-blow.  I'm going to post the pictures and let you see the prettiness for yourselves. 

At the end of this exhibition, the have a photo of all the imperial jewels that were confiscated after the Russian Revolution on a large table, and the table is surrounded by grinning men and giddy women.   Most of these jewels were stolen by individuals, or sold off.    Even the families that escaped with some of the jewels had to sell them to afford to live, and they disappeared  into private vaults or were chopped up and reset by wealthy persons.  It breaks a heart to see the beauty that is lost, the artistry that will no longer be enjoyed by generations.  Did the aristocracy of Russia deserve their fate? I can't answer that. But I can mourn what was lost.  Mourn it, and let it go.

That ends the photos from my Friday in Amsterdam.  We had fondue for dinner at Staalmeesters, but I didn't take photos! All in all, a fantastic day in Amsterdam.  We walked 9 miles and I wouldn't change one step!!  The next post will feature a sunny, warm day at the beach! More to come!