Last week I finally managed to get tickets for the Johannes Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum. So… we went!

Twenty-eight of his paintings are currently on display together in Amsterdam. As expected, it was very crowded; however, I was happy we could still see all the works up close.

(I skipped the iconic Girl with a Pearl Earring because I have been face-to-face with her at the Mauritshuis in less crowded circumstances. And I will probably see her again in future).

What we especially enjoyed about the exhibition is that when you see these paintings together, you notice specific details and props repeated in several works.

We only paid a quick visit to the Great Hall with the mosaic floor and all the magnificent stained glass windows. We also popped into the Gallery of Honour to say hi to Oopjen and Marten.

The Night Watch is behind a glass wall due to extensive restoration.

The rest of the afternoon, we took a massive detour on our way back to the train station and browsed various bookstores along the way.

I may or may not have bought another book… Shhh!

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PS. For the Dutchies: Are you watching De Nieuwe Vermeer? I did not fancy watching it beforehand. However, it was on one Sunday in the background, and I got sucked in!

What I love about it is that you get a peek into artists’ practices and ateliers. And I especially like that they are not just fine art painters.

For the non-Dutchies: it’s a TV program (competition) in which a group of artists of various disciplines is invited to bring some of Vermeer’s lost works back to life.

Amsterdam!