The Art Lover's Guide to Amsterdam

Book excerpt: Amsterdam is a dream destination for art lovers, attracting thousands of visitors to its stunning museums and art galleries each year. The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum contain internationally renowned collections of art works such as Rembrandt’s Night Watch and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. There are many lesser known, stunning art collections ranging from fluorescent art to cat paintings, murals and outdoor sculptures including work by Picasso and Keith Haring. There are also many new art destinations to see. Applied arts are much in evidence with many unusual locations offering hidden treasures such as funeral art, WW2 Resistance Art, Jewish art, gargoyle sculptures, cat themed art, diamond sculptures and Van Gogh’s starry night portrayed in diamonds. There is a vast array of art related destinations to be explored in Amsterdam. Short distances and good transport make it easy to combine Amsterdam with exploring the art on offer in nearby towns and cities Haarlem, Rotterdam, Den’Boch, Delft or Utrecht as well as areas lVolendam and Amstelveen. The Netherlands has an impressive art history that has led to the development of major art movements such as the Dutch Golden Age and De Stijl. This is the country of Rembrandt, Hieronymous Bosch, Piet Mondrian, Vincent Van Gogh, Frans Hals, Rachel Ruysch and Vermeer.