The Hermitage Amsterdam is housed in the Amstelhof on the Amstel River
Let’s just agree to put aside, shall we, the hookers and hash. The Amsterdam you don’t hear as much about is filled with beautiful historic buildings, great restaurants and cafes, funky design shops, and world-class art museums. That’s what the city is to us.
Most museumgoers associate Amsterdam with the world-class Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum. But now there’s a third art attraction pulling in the crowds. Last summer, the Netherlands capital opened the Hermitage Amsterdam, a branch of the renowned State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (where I hope to some day go). This Hermitage is run by a local foundation and independently financed.
The 17th-century Amstelhof was formerly used as a state-run home for the elderly
Wessel and I had the chance to visit in November. The weather was dreary but the place was packed. Everything about it is magnificent, from its setting along the bustling Amstel River to its location in the Amstelhof, a 17th-century building formerly used as a state-run home for the elderly.
The restored 107,000-square-foot building holds rotating and permanent exhibit space, a restaurant, outdoor terrace, courtyard, auditorium, children’s wing, and gift shops.
Church Hall with a view of the river
Our favorite spot (and everyone else’s, it seemed) was the Church Hall, a grand gathering area with large windows overlooking the Amstel. A smattering of comfy chairs faces the windows and they’re always filled.
The exhibit we saw, the inaugural (it ended Jan. 31) naturally focused on Russia, specifically on the Russian Court. The pageantry, polish, and pearls were lovely, but I’m much more interested in the upcoming show, opening March 6 (through Sept. 17). Called “Matisse to Malevich: Pioneers of Modern Art from the Hermitage,” the 75-piece modern-art showstopper is expected to draw huge crowds. The Hermitage has one of the world’s finest collections of early-20th-century French masters and famed Russian painters, so this will be a blockbuster. Most of the works in this show are usually on permanent display in Russia.
Metal fence with camellia blossoms near the back side of the museum
We’ll be back in Amsterdam in April, and will gladly fight the crowds to see this collection. On this trip, it will (hopefully) be warm enough to rest up in the courtyard, admiring the Hermitage from the outside
Admission for adults is a stiff $22, but that’s Europe for you.
Tags: Amstel River, Hermitage Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum, Van Gogh Museum
February 8, 2010 at 3:53 am |
Yes you’re right. It is beautiful. We’ve been there a couple of years ago, when it was not finished and no famous exhibits at that time. But even then it was worthwhile.
February 15, 2010 at 8:51 am |
Susie Hamm from Texas sent me (Wessel) this information and gave permission to share it with the readers of this blog:
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Hi,
I went to the museum when it first opened! The connection with the Netherlands is so great! My late husband’s family had a textile business in St. Petersberg before the revolution. They lost their Russian business because of the revolution. It was Rolf’s mother’s family. Her name was ter Brake. Seems like the families that were involved in the textile industry were often related. The family history and family tree is in a museum in the Eastern part of Holland. It is very interesting!!
Tot ziens and groetjes,
Susie Wijnberg-Hamm