More of the Netherlands - Rembrandthuis

I haven't given the Netherlands its due on this blog. Sometimes I would put entries into Facebook without thinking that they are immediately lost in the avalanche of new postings. Then I couldn't figure out how to copy them to the blog, and ultimately, I just couldn't. Oops. This was a lesson about Facebook. I stopped posting so much on FB, but there's a lot to say still. 

So I'll recreate some wonderful visuals from our time in Amsterdam and Wormerveer. I'm just concentrating on visual pleasure here, and to start, no better place than Rembranthuis.

We went to Rembrandt's house in Amsterdam on September 24. He was a wonderful etcher as well as painter, and they've made a lot out of that at Rembrandthuis.

Here's the facade of Rembrandt's house on Jodenbreestrasse, just steps from a pretty canal. He paid too much for this house actually, and though he lived in it nearly 20 years, he eventually lost it in bankruptcy. Very humbling.

When he went bankrupt he lost everything, including his press and all his tools and essentially every stick he owned, but the surprising thing is, the court record of his household has survived, so now they can reconstruct the interior pretty much like it was when he lived there. Too bad for him.

A replica of Rembrandt's press

Left-hand side of Rembrandt's work table,

with copper plates and some etchings, inks, and whatnot.

Hmmm - I think the plastic sheeting is non-conforming!

Right side of Rembrandt's work table,

with pounces, inked place, and tools

A workshop has been set up on the 4th floor above his studio. This was originally where Rembrandt's assistants worked. Sessions are ongoing.

These are etchings by workshop participants

Here's Julianne inking her etching plate. She had a great time making her etching, but she wouldn't let me show it here.

My etching from the workshop at Rembrandthuis, 4x6. This is based on a drawing I made in a nature reserve a few days before when we went biking. It's not great, but it was fun. That's a sheep on the right, in case you can't tell.

Julianne

If we all hung out at Rembrandthuis, we'd all start looking like subjects in Rembrandt paintings.

by Nancy