Living Working and Painting in Amsterdam during a Global Pandemic

Amsterdam is internationally known for its museums and galleries of international standards, making it a popular destination. The art market exhibits in Amsterdam are a great experience, particularly when you visit for a short period. Amsterdam’s biggest square is home to four of the museums that exhibit many Dutch masters and a great range of contemporary and modern art.

An Artist’s Perspective Of Amsterdam

Maximilian Lang-Orsini is an artist from Amsterdam, Netherlands, who paints from his imagination, giving insights on what living in Amsterdam is like. Through his blogs, he shares the sights and wonders you can experience in this beautiful country. This 25-year-old blogger enjoys duck herding, binge-watching box sets and gaming.

He is smart and creative and loves to share his experience of the beautiful Amsterdam through his paintings. He is such an avid gamer he even writes reviews on games. One of the games he has written a detailed review about is Dead By Daylight where he gives a survivors review.

Having attended college courses in Biology, Maths, Chemistry, and Design, and as a well-versed person in arts, Maximilian Lang-Orsini tells us of museums and other interesting sites that are a must-visit when in Amsterdam. Here are some of them:

Hermitage Amsterdam

Of all the sites mentioned in this article, The Hermitage Amsterdam has been opened the longest. It was first opened in 1683 as an older women’s home built next to the Amstel River. They host an exhibition based on the principal collection of Hermitage twice a year. From the Golden Age of the 17th Century, this museum displays the most nuanced portraits in one location.

Stedelijk Museum

The Museum of Stedelijk is the most iconic in the Netherlands for modern and contemporary art. It consists of unbelievable works of art by Piet Mondrain, Roy Lichtenstein, and Yves Klein. The museum also features architectural items, side by side, showing more than art.

Nieuwe Kerk

Nieuwe Kerk church is located on the Dam Square at the heart of Amsterdam. It is an old antique with a rich history as it is where the Dutch Queens and Kings settled in 1814.

Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum is a tourist destination that is loved by many, and a must-visit if you are ever in Amsterdam. It was designed by Pierre Cuyoers and opened way back in 1885. This museum is home to 80 galleries that showcase over 800 years of golden age Dutch artistic cultural institutions.

Joods Historisch Museum

This museum is full of old Jewish based religious artefacts, painting, music, and photographs portraying an in-depth imprint of Amsterdam’s history. The Joods Historisch Museum has been in existence since 1987 and focuses on exhibiting Dutch Jewish culture.

FOAM

FOAM has been installed in a 17th-century canal building, a splendid photographic gallery. FOAM hosts frequent shows for the photography worms and turns the showcase into a new artist every few months. FOAM’s purpose is to encourage talented photographers who deserve to be focused on, in a wonderful and welcoming culture.

In Summary

Maximilian Lang-Orsini hopes that you gain great insights from visiting these museums and historical sites. He highly recommends them to enable you better experience Amsterdam’s art scene. Indeed, if you are an art lover and appreciate the rich history, Amsterdam is definitely the place to visit.

Why Art Is More Important Than Ever In These ‘Unprecedented Times’

It is a quarantine period and you’re probably just bored at home with nothing to do. You have to think of pastime activities, or you are bound to have very long and lazy days. Fortunately, art has in more ways than one revolutionised how people view it, especially during these unprecedented times. More people are now embracing art because they now have the time.

Even though having public art events has become an issue; most of the artists have come up with ingenious ways to promote their works such as Maximilian Lang- Orsini. Check out some of the ways that art has increasingly influenced our ways of life during this period.

Reasons Why Art Is Important During This Season

From the likes of Maximilian Lang-Orsini, a Netherlands based artist who has completely made a difference from his pictures and the paintings, artists have made a significant impact during this period. Here are some of the ways such artists and their works have impacted the lives of many people.

1. Bring comfort and hope

Every painting has a story behind it. Most of them mean to bring out inspiration to hold on to the hope that everything will be better at the end.

Everyone is facing a lot of difficult times plus, these paintings show that you are not alone. We can pull through everything together. Nevertheless, they remind us of the basics about how life is meaningful and brings a load of beauty with it.

2. Give thanks to the front-line workers

Front-line workers such as the NHS staff have given their all during these times. People have come up with creative ways to thank the caregivers and people who support us in the pandemic. Inspirational photographs of doctors and nurses who are on call help in making more people more appreciative and supportive of them. Also, paintings make them feel not left out and more accepted in society.

3. Create environmental awareness

You can’t fail to appreciate the fact that during the pandemic there has been significant improvement in the environmental aspects of our lives. Art has played a major role in this end. Places such as Hong Kong and India have seen changes in the accumulation of smog. Art has helped to educate people to be environmentally moral.

4. Publicly raise donations

The pandemic came with lots of challenges. These include economic standstills. It is through different artworks and virtual forums that people have been able to do fundraising to help the needy go through these times. By making auctions of the paintings, the money can go help out in buying food for the needy and also PPE’s for the various health workers.

5. Art to set you free

One of the major problems that came with the pandemic is that sadly it made many people become redundant and lose most of their jobs. However, art has provided a safe haven for those who show interest in it and try to make a living with it. Art offers a great choice when you have had second thoughts about your daily job.

Wrapping up

Art has made people give a second thought on how they live their lives. This means more people now contemplate about the future and the past. Nevertheless, art has improved judgement calls regarding our decisions as it has painted the world that was before and the world that is now. Art has given people a chance and a way to cope with these difficult times.

Why Painters Paint, Why Artists Dream

Keeping your body and mind sharp is vital throughout your lives, but it becomes much more essential as you age. While keeping yourself physically fit is crucial for your overall well being, identifying an innovative outlet keeps your brain healthy while enhancing your horizons. Painting, for instance, offers a fun way to sharpen your minds. Here are some of the reasons why great painters paint.

Memory Strengthening

First, painting strengthens memory recollection skills and sharpens the mind via conceptual imagination and implementation. The individuals that often use innovative outlets, such as painting, drawing and painting have minimal chances of developing memory loss conditions as they age.

Besides, painting gives people the ability to express their emotions and feelings via pictures. Although it’s quite challenging at times, painting gives one the chance to release inner thoughts. People that paint utilises art to overcome their nervousness and convey their personality.

Build Motor & Problem-Solving Skills

Most people think that painting only enhances imaginative skills, but most would be astonished to realise it enhances critical thinking, as well. A painter needs to conceptually think to bring several solutions to life as he/she paints. What the painter thinks when starting a painting frequently changes radically as the painting progresses.

The painter’s vision changes throughout the painting process, making him or she develop crucial problem-solving skills. As a painter, thinking outside the box is a must, especially after making painting a hobby as it ultimately leads to motor skills improvement. The nimble paintbrush handling, for example, improves hand and fingers mobility. The detailed motor skills developed by a painter ultimately becomes mental shortcuts that the brain uses in everyday life.

Relieve Stress

Stress is a problem everybody deals with to some extent at one point or the other. Keep in mind that high levels of anxiety and stress lead to mental health issues. Fortunately, painting gives an emotional outlet and release for individuals struggling with stresses in their lives. Concentrating on a painting provides an individual’s mind the time to relax and release all the demands and problems causing the stress.

As people design incredible stuff through painting, it usually stimulates their creative minds while relieving mental stress. Generally, releasing anxiety through painting helps an individual in unwinding and letting go of all the pressure that stresses the mind. It is no wonder that low-stress levels lead to a healthier and happier lifestyle that enhances the overall wellbeing.

Why Do Artists Dream?

An artist is often linked with somebody who possesses the skills or talent to design something. So, dreaming in artists is often linked to their talents, skills, creativity and ability to manifest their wishes. It may also be a symbol of their ability to express their creativity and emotions. Here is why great artists, like Maximilian Lang-Orsini dream.

Expresses Creativity

Art is generally a form of creativity. Thus, when it comes to creating something, artists are typically expressing their ideas, emotions or even thoughts to others.

Dreaming that You’re an Artist

If you see yourself as an artist in a dream, it may be a sign that you can create your life precisely the way you need it. You are the eventual creator, and it could show you have to release past feelings and emotions that may be holding your desires.

For example, the paintings you see in your dream may be symbolic of the way you presently experience emotions and events in your daily life. As an artist, dreaming in your life could also mean that you’re genuinely focused on what you do.

Amsterdam’s Top Art Attractions You Must Visit

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