Lessons Learned in the Rijksmuseum: Inside the Lives of the Dutch Bourgeoisie

2024 By justmovingaround in History, Lifestyle Tags: Amsterdam, bourgeoisie, Dutch Golden Age, museum, Netherlands, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

This post reflects on a visit to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, focusing on how Dutch bourgeois life and values were visually constructed during the Golden Age. With original photos and commentary, it explores the paintings not just as art, but as a cultural message about wealth, status, and identity.

Rijksmuseum * Dutch bourgeoisie * Dutch Golden Age

When one thinks of the Rijksmuseum, the first association is often with the masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age. However, the museum is much more than just a collection of fine art; it is a rich tapestry of Dutch history, culture, and daily life. This history is vividly portrayed not only in the paintings but also in the museum’s extensive collection of everyday objects.

Rijksmuseum, located in Amsterdam, is the largest and most renowned museum in the Netherlands, dedicated to Dutch art and history. Established in 1798, the museum is a treasure trove of cultural heritage. It is divided into several key sections, including the Dutch Golden Age paintings, a vast collection of historical artifacts, decorative arts, and a comprehensive display of Dutch colonial history.

Rijksmuseum Photos | 荷兰国立博物馆照片 | Rijksmuseum Foto's | Zdjęcia Rijksmuseum

Rijksmuseum at first glance

The wealth of the Dutch bourgeoisie primarily stemmed from the dynamic development of international trade during the 17th century, known as the Dutch Golden Age. During this period, the Netherlands became one of the world’s most powerful trading centers, largely due to the activities of organizations such as the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company. Trade in spices, silk, porcelain, and even slaves generated enormous profits, fueling the growth of cities, infrastructure, and culture. Investments in banking, shipping, and innovative agricultural practices further strengthened the position of the Dutch bourgeoisie, making it one of the wealthiest and most influential social classes in Europe at that time.

To understand how the Dutch bourgeoisie lived during this era, we can first look at the details captured in the paintings. The Dutch painters of the Golden Age were, in fact, portraitists of the wealthy bourgeoisie. They didn’t just capture their faces but also depicted how they lived, what they ate, and the interiors of their homes. These paintings reveal a wealth of details. If we compare this to how many of us share glimpses of our lives on social media today, it’s clear that the Dutch of the Golden Age did something similar, but instead of using photography, they employed and generously paid skilled portraitists to document their lives.

Rijksmuseum Dutch Bourgeoisie | 阿姆斯特丹国立博物馆荷兰资产阶级 | Bourgeoisie néerlandaise au Rijksmuseum

How did they live, what did they eat, how did they dress? Illustrated by the great painters of the Golden Age. “The Merry Family” by Jan Steen; “Still Life with a Turkey Pie” (fragment) by Pieter Claesz; “Banquet Piece with Mince Pie” by Willem Claesz Heda; “Officers and Other Members of the St Adrian Civic Guard” (fragment) by Frans Hals; “Banquet at the Crossbowmen’s Guild in Celebration of the Treaty of Münster” (fragment) by Bartholomeus van der Helst.

In the first painting we see a lively and joyful scene where a family gathered around the table enjoys a meal together. The home interior is warm and cosy. We see an indulgent feast and carefree atmosphere, subtly hinting at the potential for excess and moral laxity in the pursuit of pleasure. The paintings illustrate as well how the contents of Dutch bourgeois tables evolved, reflecting their growing wealth and refined tastes. In one painting, we see a roasted turkey, a symbol of luxury and abundance. In another, oysters – a delicacy considered a rarity. We see the transition from simple, local foods to more exotic and luxurious dishes, a result of the expanding global trade networks. The depiction of the civic guard members and the banquet celebrating a peace treaty clearly show how important fashion and elegance were in Dutch society. The men are dressed in richly decorated uniforms, which not only emphasise their roles and social status but also reflect their prestige and concern for appearance. It is notable that women are absent from these paintings, highlighting the male dominance in these formal and public spaces, particularly in military and official contexts.

Rijksmuseum Dutch bourgeoisie * Dutch Golden Age

Another key element in the museum that illustrates what a wealthy Dutch home might have looked like is the collection of dollhouses, which showcase complete homes, meticulously furnished down to the finest detail. The dollhouses on display at the Rijksmuseum were far from being mere children’s toys. These miniature homes were crafted as a hobby for wealthy women in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are not only works of art in their own right but also serve as detailed records of domestic interiors of the time.

The dollhouses on display in the Rijksmuseum are challenging to photograph in their entirety, as they attract a great deal of interest from visitors. Below are photographs of individual rooms within these houses, which I managed to capture during my visit to the Rijksmuseum.

The museum houses several exquisite examples, including the famous dollhouse of Petronella Oortman (on the upper photo), crafted between 1686 and 1710. This dollhouse is a meticulous replica of a grand canal house in Amsterdam. Every room is furnished with tiny, yet incredibly detailed versions of the furniture, textiles, and household items that would have been found in an affluent home of that era. Through these miniature worlds, visitors can explore the daily life of the Dutch bourgeoisie, from the layout of the kitchen to the luxury of the parlour. The attention to detail is astounding, with miniature paintings, hand-painted wallpaper, and even tiny porcelain dishes adorning the tables.

Rijksmuseum Dutch bourgeoisie * Dutch Golden Age

Finally, the museum’s collection also includes individual pieces of furniture and everyday objects displayed throughout various sections. The furniture collection includes everything from simple pieces such as beds, chests, and wardrobes to more elaborate and intricately carved cabinets. Some of these 17th-century pieces reflect the Calvinist values of austerity and modesty that were prevalent in Dutch society at the time. However, other items in the collection reveal the splendour of the homes of the Dutch elite, where no expense was spared in displaying wealth and taste. One prime example is the collection of cabinets. These are not only masterpieces of furniture craftsmanship, featuring countless compartments and intricate wood carvings, but they also serve as canvases for miniature works of art, with tiny paintings created using various techniques.

Dutch Cabinets at Rijksmuseum | 荷兰国立博物馆的荷兰橱柜 | Cabinets néerlandais au Rijksmuseum

Examples of furniture on display in the Rijksmuseum range from simple pieces to highly elaborate and richly decorated cabinets.

The furniture showcased in the Rijksmuseum was crafted from high-quality materials, including rich woods such as oak and walnut, which were commonly used in Dutch furniture making during the Golden Age. These pieces often featured intricate inlays and embellishments made from materials like ebony, mother-of-pearl, and sometimes bone or other fine materials. Notable makers of these exquisite pieces included famous Dutch cabinetmakers of the 17th century, such as Herman Doomer and Pierre Gole, who were renowned for their skill in creating finely crafted furniture. These artisans often worked in major cities like Amsterdam, The Hague, and Leiden, where they combined local craftsmanship with imported materials and influences from across Europe. Their work was highly sought after by the Dutch elite and continues to be admired in museums around the world today.

#Netherlands

RIJKSMUSEUM photo gallery

Lessons Learned in the Rijksmuseum: Inside the Lives of the Dutch Bourgeoisie

Traditions Alive: Folk Architecture in Olsztynek, Northern Poland

2024 By justmovingaround in Sightseeing Tags: architecture, folk architecture, folklore, Masuria, museum, Olsztynek, Poland

If you ever find yourself in northern Poland, Olsztynek is worth a stop. This small town in Masuria is home to an open-air museum where traditional wooden houses, barns, and workshops give you a feel for how people lived here over a century ago. The site covers over 90 hectares and includes more than 70 historic buildings arranged like a real village.

Traditions Alive: Folk Architecture in Olsztynek | Lebendige Traditionen: Volksarchitektur in Olsztynek | Traditions vivantes : Architecture populaire à Olsztynek | Żywe tradycje: Architektura ludowa w Olsztynku

In an age of rapid modernisation, there’s something deeply grounding about stepping into the world of past centuries – a world shaped by hand-built cottages, wooden churches, and time-honoured rural customs. Across Europe, open-air museums offer a unique window into the everyday lives of people long gone, preserving not just buildings but ways of life.

One such place can be found in the heart of Northern Poland, in the small town of Olsztynek. The Museum of Folk Architecture, an ethnographic park in Olsztynek, was not the first folk park I visited. But this one was beyond expectations. The collection of rural houses, their interiors, and equipment is impressive. In fact, the place is an enormous park, where you can walk around, from time to time, stepping inside a building. Although all houses and other buildings had been moved to this place from a larger region, you have the impression you are in a village that has its own church, school, and many craftsmen houses. Walking around this place, we only have to keep in mind that the houses gathered there belonged to wealthier rural families. Still, the place reflects how people lived in this region a hundred or two hundred years ago.

Museum of Folk Architecture Olsztynek Poland

Traditions Alive: Folk Architecture in Olsztynek | Lebendige Traditionen: Volksarchitektur in Olsztynek | Traditions vivantes : Architecture populaire à Olsztynek | Żywe tradycje: Architektura ludowa w Olsztynku

Outdoors in the park

Established in 1969, the park traces its roots back to the early 20th century when the idea of preserving East Prussia’s folk architecture took shape. In years 1938 to 1942 the museum undertook a complex task of relocating characteristic buildings from East Prussia to Olsztynek. Despite challenges, 12 structures successfully made the journey, laying the foundation for the museum’s unique collection. Post-World War II, in 1950, restoration efforts commenced, securing the facilities in collaboration with the conservator of monuments. Further expansion took place in the late 1950s. Over the years, it continued to evolve, incorporating new objects and artefacts to its collections.

The material culture and folk art collections of the Museum of Folk Architecture exceed 14,000 items, offering a comprehensive view of the cultural heritage of the region. The museum’s collections are housed in 80 mostly wooden structures of large and small rural architecture, each with diverse functions, designs, and constructions. These encompass residential and religious buildings, alongside farmsteads and industrial structures.

The majority of the objects date back to the mid-19th century. From the 1870s onwards, bricks became increasingly common as a building material. Before that, houses were constructed using pine wood, employing either crown post or half-timbered structures. In a crown post structure, a vertical post, known as the crown post, stands in the center of the building, supporting the weight of the roof. The crown post connects the collar beam, which is positioned horizontally and links the tops of opposing rafters. A half-timbered structure, also known as timber framing or half-timbering, is a construction method where the framework of a building is exposed on the exterior, creating a visible structural skeleton. In a half-timbered structure, the spaces between the wooden framework are often filled with materials like brick, plaster, or wattle and daub. The term “half-timbered” comes from the fact that only a portion of the structure is made of exposed timber, typically forming a decorative pattern or providing structural support.

Just a few of numerous houses gathered in the park

More on half timbering (in Northern France)

The interiors

The objects showcased in the Museum of Folk Architecture on expansive area of thirty-five hectares originate from areas that were part of East Prussia at the time of the museum’s inception in 1913 originating from the regions of Warmia, Masuria, Powiśle, the so-called Little Lithuania, and Sambia. The first three regions are currently within the boundaries of the Warmian-Masurian region in Poland, while Little Lithuania covers areas in the eastern Republic of Lithuania and the northern part of the Kaliningrad Oblast. Sambia is located in the Kaliningrad Oblast. The buildings were either translocated or reconstructed post-World War II. The museum also features objects that do not fall within the territorial boundaries of the mentioned regions.

The local school

The local church

Within these buildings, exhibits showcase traditional methods of work and rural rituals from the 19th and 20th centuries. The cultural landscape’s authenticity is further enhanced by livestock, household gardens, and traditional cultivation. In this region, visitors will encounter horses, goats, and Skudde sheep, considered the oldest of the domesticated Nordic sheep breeds. The Skudde breed was developed in East Prussia and thrived from northern Lithuania to the Kaszuby region. It was particularly popular in Warmia and Masuria. During World War II, Skudde sheep are freely walking around the park you can indeed see those Skudde sheep walking around houses. They reside in one of the farmsteads reconstructed in the museum (they can be seen in the door of one of tbe buildings on one of the photos above).

Various equipment on display in the Museum of Folk Architecture

After entering the gate of the park we were free to walk across the entire park. It was also possible to stay there longer than during the opening hours. There are many cameras on the premises, so the place is guarded. Still when you leave at later hour you can simply open a small door near the entrance gate from the inside.

The Masuria region is known for its beautiful nature, forests, lakes, and many opportunities for outdoor activities. It is also home to castles built by the Teutonic Order and wooden churches (one of them will be featured in an upcoming post). The Museum of Folk Architecture was an unexpected pleasure for me, providing historical insights and a peaceful place to spend time.

To my MASURIA photo gallery

To the MUSEUM OF FOLK ARCHITECTURE site

Traditions Alive: Folk Architecture in Olsztynek, Northern Poland

The Ishtar Gate of Babylon

2023 By justmovingaround in BERLIN, History, Sightseeing Tags: archeology, architecture, artefacts, Babylon, Berlin, Ishtar Gate, museum, Pergamon Museum

With its deep-blue glazed bricks and long rows of lions and dragons, the Ishtar Gate remains one of the most iconic monuments of ancient Babylon. Now on display at Berlin’s Pergamon Museum, it offers a rare, tangible glimpse into Mesopotamian grandeur. In this post, I share a few reflections from finally seeing it in person — after years of reading about it — along with some context on how it ended up in Germany, and a brief note on the archaeological practices behind its removal.

Construction and Symbolism of the Ishtar Gate

The Ishtar Gate, constructed in the 6th century BCE during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II, was one of the main entrances to the ancient city of Babylon (in present-day Iraq). Located on the northern side of the city, it was part of a grand complex of walls, gates, and palaces. Renowned for its striking design, the gate was dedicated to Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love, fertility, and war.

King Nebuchadnezzar II was a Babylonian king who ruled from 605–562 BCE. He is known for his military conquests, including the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE. He is also remembered for his monumental building projects, such as the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Ishtar Gate was built using baked bricks in varying shades of blue, glazed to achieve a glossy finish, making it a visually striking structure. The intense blue color symbolized the divine realm, evoking the sky and the presence of the gods, and was meant to impress and overwhelm all who approached.

Constructed in the Babylonian architectural style, the gate featured a tall arched entrance flanked by towers, forming a monumental threshold to the inner city. Its surface was adorned with reliefs of dragons, lions, and bulls arranged in alternating rows. Each animal was molded separately and then affixed to the wall, showcasing the technical mastery of the artisans. These creatures were not decorative alone – they carried deep symbolic meaning: dragons represented Marduk, Babylon’s chief deity; lions were associated with Ishtar, the goddess to whom the gate was dedicated; and bulls symbolized Adad, the god of storms.

The construction process was highly complex, requiring skilled artisans proficient in brick-making and glazed tile-work. But beyond craftsmanship, the gate served as a political and religious statement – a bold declaration of royal power and divine favor. As people passed through it, often during ritual processions, they experienced not only the grandeur of architecture, but also the ideological core of the Babylonian empire: a world governed by gods, ruled by kings, and expressed in stone and fire-glazed brick.

Blue glazed brickwork of the Ishtar Gate | Briques émaillées bleues de la porte d’Ishtar | Blaue glasierte Ziegel der Ischtar-Tor | Ladrillos vidriados azules de la Puerta de Ishtar | Mattoni smaltati blu della Porta di Ishtar | Niebieskie glazurowane cegły Bramy Isztar | Синие глазурованные кирпичи ворот Иштар | 伊什塔尔门的蓝色釉面砖 | イシュタル門の青い釉薬レンガ | 이슈타르 문에 사용된 푸른 유약 벽돌

Discovery and Reconstruction

The Ishtar Gate was rediscovered in the early 20th century by a team of German archaeologists led by Robert Koldewey. Koldewey had been excavating the site of Babylon since 1899, uncovering numerous significant structures and artifacts from the ancient city. In 1902, he began a targeted excavation to locate the Ishtar Gate, long known from ancient texts but yet to be identified.

After several months of work, his team uncovered part of the gate’s foundations, including fragments of its original blue-glazed bricks. Over the next few years, they carefully excavated and documented the remains, which proved to be in remarkably good condition, despite their age and centuries of exposure.

Eventually, the gate was dismantled and transported to Germany, where it was entrusted to a team of experts under the leadership of Wilhelm von Bode. The reconstruction process involved painstakingly fitting together thousands of pieces, including the glazed bricks and the intricately molded figures of animals and deities that once adorned the gate.

In 1930, the reconstructed Ishtar Gate was installed in the main hall of the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Although the museum had not been built specifically for the gate, it provided an appropriately grand setting for this monumental artifact. The Pergamon Museum, originally established in the early 20th century to house the Prussian royal collections, had grown to include major archaeological finds from across the ancient world. The Ishtar Gate, acquired in the 1920s along with other treasures from Babylon, became one of its most iconic exhibits.

German Archaeology. Influence and Criticism

In the early 20th century, German archaeologists emerged as some of the most prominent and influential figures in the field. At the time, archaeology was still a developing discipline, and German scholars helped define the methodologies and techniques that continue to influence archaeological practice today.

Among the most notable figures was Heinrich Schliemann, known for his excavations at Troy and Mycenae, and Robert Koldewey, whose work in Babylon, particularly on the Ishtar Gate, became internationally recognized. Other influential archaeologists included Ernst Curtius, who excavated Olympia, and Hermann Thiersch, who worked at Pergamon. Their research was often state-supported, with backing from the German government, which viewed archaeology as a means to assert cultural and political influence abroad.

Central to these efforts was the German Oriental Society (Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft, or DOG), founded in 1898 in Berlin. Dedicated to the study of the Middle East and Central Asia, the DOG played a key role in organizing expeditions and publishing scholarly work that shaped the image of the ancient Near East in Europe. The Society also positioned Germany in direct competition with Britain and France, both of which were conducting their own large-scale excavations. This created an atmosphere in which archaeology became a form of soft power, used to reinforce national prestige through cultural discovery.

The work of German archaeologists in the early 20th century has been criticized for various reasons. One of the main criticisms is that they were motivated by nationalist and imperialist interests and used archaeology to support these agendas. For example, some archaeologists saw themselves as uncovering the roots of a supposed Aryan race and used their work to support Nazi ideology. Another criticism is that German archaeologists were often more interested in exporting artifacts back to Germany rather than preserving them in the country of origin. This led to the removal of many important artifacts from their original context, which made it difficult for subsequent generations of archaeologists to properly study and interpret them. Additionally, some scholars have criticized German archaeologists for practicing a top-down approach to archaeology, which prioritizes the study of elites and high culture rather than the experiences of ordinary people. This approach can result in a skewed understanding of the past, which ignores the perspectives and contributions of marginalized groups.

By the late 1970s, the Iraqi government expressed a desire to repatriate the Ishtar Gate and other artifacts from the Pergamon Museum. However, the request was not granted, due to concerns about the safety and preservation of the artifacts, as well as disputes over ownership and legal claims.

If you’re curious to see more from the Pergamon Museum, I’ve shared a photo gallery just below.

More photos fom the PERGAMON MUSEUM

To my BERLIN site

just moving around

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