The Trip that was: October 13, 2018

2017

At the Boijmans Museum in Rotterdam. And I'm sharing with you one of the greatest forgeries of all-time.   When this painting came on the market in 1937, it was proclaimed to be a lost work of Vermeer.  There was much interest in it, and the curator at the Boijmans curator snapped up the painting, before the Rijksmuseum could put together funding.  Later, while on trial after World War II, Han van Meegeren admitted that he was the creator of this piece.  It was a forgery.  It's now on display, with the story behind it, and correctly attributed to van Meegeren. If you're interested at all in art, and art history,  I highly recommend the book written about Han Van Meegeren, I was Vermeer: The rise and fall of the Twentieth Century's greatest art forger by Frank Wynne.

 2018

The Hermitage Amsterdam.  It is always worth a visit, even if you have NO interest in the exhibition. Why?? Because they simply know how to build an exhibition and display it to squeeze every ounce of magic out of it they can.  This exhibition was "Classic Beauties".  It included sculptures and paintings.  I'm mainly showing you the sculptures, because they were truly beautiful.  There is a short documentary available on Youtube if you're interested in seeing the exhibition for yourself. 

No matter how serious the exhibition there is always time to be silly and play with the props and sets that all museums seem to have these days! 

And we end with a couple of night shots from the Blauwbrug, looking over the Amstel River, towards the Magere Brug. 

And towards Waterlooplein and the Stopera.