Old Masters of the City of Amsterdam

Halfway through the ‘Old Masters of the City of Amsterdam’ exhibition,there’s a brilliant little display: a short video featuring themuseum’s new director, Paul Spies, as he walks from Dam square to theScheierstoren, the Waag, the Doelen Hotel and other historic sites. Hedescribes important 17th-century paintings, while indicating where theyhung in civic buildings at the time. While the film rolls, 17th-centurypaintings of those historic buildings are illuminated, one at a time,on the wall behind the video screen.

A simple idea, well executed. Themovie contains certain exciting revelations, too: the curators havepinpointed where each of the monumental civic guard paintings weassociate with Amsterdam today – those iconic group portraits ofmilitiamen, including Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’ – hung in the TownHall (now the Royal Palace). Maybe that’s the kind of detail hat’s onlydrool-worthy to a history geek (like myself). But it shows howseriously the curator, Norbert Middelkoop, was about puttingAmsterdam’s Golden Age paintings into context.

‘Old Masters’ features a small sampling of 100 works from the city’strove of about 1,000 paintings completed before 1800. Seven of thepaintings are on loan from the Rijksmuseum, where they have been instorage, while others are part of the AHM’s permanent collection.You’ll find Rembrandt, Jacob van Ruisdael, Pieter Aertsen and a grandThomas de Keyser.

This is precisely the kind of exhibition that makes ahistorical museum feel vital, and I suspect it will please tourists asmuch as 17th-century connoisseurs. The early history of the city caneasily be told through paintings, as paintings play such a criticalrole in the development of Amsterdam. As you get to the end, you’ll beantsy to leave the museum and experience the city’s Golden Age on yourown. It’s only too bad that this temporary show can’t be made apermanent fixture.

Nina Siegal

Amsterdams Historisch Museum,
until 9 August