Amsterdam is well known worldwide for its world-class art galleries and museums, making it a well deserved popular place of visit. In this article, I, Max Lang-Orsini, will break down to you the top art attractions you must visit when travelling to Amsterdam.
Amsterdam’s Art Movements
Amsterdam’s art exhibits are a great experience to visit, especially if you’re visiting for a short period. Amsterdam’s largest square is home to four museums showcasing many dutch masters, more than you can imagine, but is also a huge variety from modern art and contemporary art.
Van Gogh Museum
This article cannot exist without a mention from the iconic exhibition space that is the Van Gogh Museum. The name is as iconic as the museum with art being seen by millions of people and have been around since the golden age of Amsterdam. Home to 200 paintings, you will feel privileged to see Van Gogh’s greatest creations as you immerse yourself in his time.
Since this is a successful museum, tickets sell fast, so make sure you book your tickets in advance.
Joods Historisch Museum
The recent museum, Joods Historisch Museum, has been around since 1987 is full of old Jewish based religious artefacts, photographs, music and paintings giving an in-depth impression of Amsterdam’s history. This Jewish based museum focuses on displaying Dutch Jewish culture with an interactive exhibit experience.
Stedelijk Museum
Another icon of Amsterdam’s art culture that has to appear on this list. The Stedelijk Museum is the most iconic modern and contemporary art museum throughout the whole of the Netherlands. It includes incredible art collections from the works of Piet Mondrain, Yves Klein, Roy Lichtenstein and more. Showcasing more than art, the Stedelijk Museum also includes design objects side by side.
FOAM
FOAM is an excellent photography based museum that has been created in a 17th-century canal house. FOAM holds regular exhibitions for your photography worms and rotates their showcase every few months to show upcoming talent in the scene. Based around a great and friendly community, FOAM has the end goal of promoting the talented photographers that deserve it.
This Museum does not accept cash, book your tickets in advance or paying by card would be accepted.
Nieuwe Kerk
At the heart of Amsterdam on the Dam Square is where the Nieuwe Kerk church belongs. Next to the Royal Palace this ‘New Church’ belongs where the Dutch Kings and Queens have settled since 1814. Full of history, the New Church brings an old antique feel whilst showcasing it’s cultural style and events throughout this exhibition.
Rembrandthuis
Rembrandt bought this house for a massive sum of money. With the pressure of mortgage payments piling up, he was forced to move in 1656 when he was declared bankrupt.
After this situation unfolded, the clerks made a list of the house. It was these records that provided renovators with an idea of how the house looked. The Rembrandt house museum has recently gained the popularity of its interesting story.
CoBrA Museum
To the west centre of Amsterdam, the CoBrA museum is high up the foot chain of modern art. Artists such as Eugene Brands and Karel Appel used to be ‘troublemakers’ but now own the top museums in Amsterdam. With their modern style environment, the passionate group holds many temporary exhibitions outside of the CoBrA group too.
Moco Museum
Whilst this private museum is much smaller than the Stedelijk, it’s outside view is extraordinary with it being surrounded by many stunning contemporary sculptures. Moco is a modern art based museum, and the name stands for ‘modern contemporary’. Home in an early 20th-century mansion, this museum holds the most influential artists like Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons.
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is a popular tourist destination people love to visit in Amsterdam. Designed by Pierre Cuypers and opened many years ago in 1885, the Rijksmuseum holds Amsterdam’s biggest collection of artefacts and art. The 80 galleries that are home to this museum showcases over 800 years of Dutch artistic culture from the golden age of Amsterdam.
This is an extremely popular museum to visit, book your tickets now.
Hermitage Amsterdam
The Hermitage Amsterdam has been opened for the longest time on this list, since 1683. It first opened as a home for the women in their elderlies built next to the Amstel River. Twice a year they host an exhibition based on the main hermitage collection. This 17th-Century golden age museum showcases the best portraits together in one place.
I hope from reading this article you understand more about Amsterdam’s art scene and would visit yourself one time, I would highly recommend it.
Written By: Max Lang-Orsini