Jammin my views on art, travel, worldviews ect.

About to enter the Rijksmuseum :-) What an amazing experience! If you plan on visiting the Rijksmuseum, prepare to see many paintings, artefacts from centuries ago, and also prepare to spend 4 -5 hours :-). As with most museums in Amsterdam, you are able to book your tickets online. I wanted to experience this museum on my last day in Amsterdam, and I am so grateful I did. Per recommendation, I began my tour on the second floor, which had Rembrandt paintings from the 1600s. As I saw the photos I came across several interesting facts, people of those times thought that tobacco was healthy and that they had unique cups where they played interesting games (the Dutch as in many European cultures, like to drink :-) ). Another thing I noticed was that many paintings were influenced by biblical stories, such as the story of “Adam and Eve”.  Drinking games cups The museum also focuses on the colonial times of the Dutch. I learned the sad truth of how the Dutch would...

Cimon and Pero (Roman Charity), Peter Paul Rubens, 1630 - 1640 Visiting the Rijksmuseum, this is the picture that stood out most to me. As I sat there I wondered to myself what could be the story behind this old man sucking on a woman’s breast. The breast of a woman is normally so sexualized, but as I was to find out later that her breast represented nourishment and saving a life. The story goes as follows, Cimon, the old man, is condemned to death by hunger, I am not sure what actions of his resulted in this punishment, however, he is sentenced to death by starvation. Not wanting to see her father suffer, his daughter chooses to secretly breastfeed her father each day as she visits him, so as not to let him die. When she is caught by the guards, and put to the courts, her father is set free because of her dutifulness as a daughter and the love she has bestowed on her father. This story is touching to be as it reflects the bond between a father and a child. Not...

The celebrated VanGogh, I have heard of this famous artist for many years, and to have the opportunity to visit  Amsterdam and to see his works, was a privilege in and of itself. The museum is beautifully laid out and even though the average time spent is 1,5 hrs, I could easily spend 4 to 5 hours trapped in time, looking at his thick strokes and seeing his message form with each line. Van Gogh, grew up in a time when Amsterdam was bustling with artists, to make yourself stand out, most artists committed to a specific genre of art, from painting only portraits, still life, to painting cheese ( Amsterdam is known for its cheese :-) ). For Van Gogh, he started out painting self-portraits, particularly because he could not afford models. Van Gogh self-portraits All of his self-portraits had different features, and probably they were indicative of what he was feeling at the time. Interesting for me was how he named his paintings, and the Dutch straightforwardness exemplifi...

Being in Amsterdam, I could not miss out on the opportunity to visit the Anne Frank House. Though knowing that it would bring some sadness, it was important to know about the world’s history, so as to be an agent of change for the future and not be a part of the problem.  The beauty of visiting the Anne Frank house is that you book your tickets online, as such there is no waiting time. I arrived an hour early, however, being alone I was permitted to enter the museum early. This was a surprise for me and was happy that the attendants were pleasant and allowed me entry. As I entered the museum, no photos were allowed and I respectfully obliged. The first thing that caught my attention was a large photo of Anne Frank, the youthfulness of the photo and the child-like innocence was only a mask to the darkness of what her family would have to endure. The story is told that the Franks had settled from Germany in Amsterdam as the war had begun. They opened a business...