We traveled to Holland in May of this year. Actually, it was a two-country trip with Spain, but I’ll save that part for another blog. As we’ve done before, it was with students and staff of the Laguna College of Art and Design. These tours are all about art, meaning visits to a least one museum per day and sometimes two, not to mention exposure to the culture, past and present.
Who couldn’t love these tall skinny buildings in Amsterdam unless, of course, you keep leaving your glasses on the first floor when needing them on the third. Those protrusions at the tops are for lifting furniture into the upper stories. The canals were perfect for moving goods and people throughout the city.
The size of the boats is restricted for many of these canals, what with those Haarlem bridges. Actually, we saw more bikes in use than any other transportation mode.
The old town square in Haarlem is where we stayed, our hotel for the week the lit building to the left. Quiet mostly, except weekends about 2:00 a.m. when the crowds increase and the loud music begins!
One of the museums in Haarlem, the Teyler, had this room where one could pull out and inspect original work.
Old Haarlem as recorded by some great painter with his easel set up right in the street. Incredible, when you think about it. As with all of these, click the picture for a larger view.
I never noted the origin of this very busy and wonderful slice-of-life depiction. No drone camera would ever capture as much. Again, click it.
This is how we view art in most museums these days. We stop, take a quick picture, move on, and who knows if we ever look at it again? In this case, the Syndics of the Drapiers Guild by Master Rembrandt seem to be checking out the stylish photographer, our friend and fellow traveler Dan from Viet Nam.
Another of our fellow artists was Mary, here with a quick back scratch while no doubt wondering what’s going on in the Rembrandt wedding scene. One thing: he didn’t shy from hands, though they can be such a challenge to paint.
Another Rembrandt, and another of Mary, checking him out, so beautifully framed. Don’t forget to click to enlarge.
Sketching was a value for all the students, and me. Once again I took on the goal of filling a sketchbook during the trip, which I’ve since published (see below). Here I’m doing a rendition of an actual Rembrandt etching before me.
A page from the sketchbook, on the left a detail from a large Frans Hals. At right, a scene from yesteryear, though windmills are still around.
While I recorded memories by sketching, Anne worked on a journal. She would keep her eye out for memorabilia and ephemera: tickets, fliers, postcards and the like. She’d put each page together with glue stick and good attention to graphic design, jotting notes about where we were that day. (Click to see.)
Of particular interest to Anne was the etching press in the restoration of Rembrandt’s house. This demonstrator is making actual prints from plates.
Another room of the Rembrandt house was his painting studio, including this table where he or an apprentice would grind pigment from organic material and mix it with linseed oil and gum arabic to make paint. It was before paint was available ready-made in tubes. (We have it easy.)
Van Gogh is big in Amsterdam, being Dutch, with a wonderful museum dedicated to him alone. No photos were allowed, something I was told by a guard just after I took this one, and the guard rushed off to tell another not to take them, and another, and another.
We did appreciate this wall-size blow up of a sketch Vincent made in a letter to his brother Theo. No time to aim the camera and get the picture straight; the guard might be near by.
More pages from Anne’s graphic journal. Click to enlarge.
Bikes, buildings and beauty in their reflections. Everywhere there seemed to be more to gaze at, more pictures to take.
The traveling couple: Anne and me, greeting you from Holland.
_______________________________________________________________
NEW BOOK. Available now.
Click for sample pages, price and ordering information.
9:46 am
Beautiful, Hyatt, I’m so glad you are moving forward with such energy. Please keep it up. ACTS 20:32
Byron
10:04 am
Oh man!! Those books are gorgeous Anne!! And Hyatt!! Love ALLLLL YOUR GORGEOUS WORKS!! You both are just SOOOOO TALENTED!! I feel so honored to have been able to spend time with both of you and to work at selling your gorgeous works for a time… Praising God!!! You are amazing! Keep going! So glad you are seeing the world together!!!! And painting and drawing up a storm while you do! Love love love Lisa and Kevin and family!!! Forever and always!!
10:36 am
Bravo Hyatt, This pictorial is a visual essay – beautifully done and full of your low key humor (usually low-key : 0
What a treat to see Holland in so many of its moods and remembrances from Haarlem to Amsterdam and then into the museums — such fine museums indeed which educate and inspire so well. Seeing the pigments, printmaking tools and presses of Rembrandt, Van Gogh’s self-portrait and so much more.
Will look forward to seeing your next book!!! Thanks for posting such a splendid picture story here I may ask permission to use it in a lecture! Blessings, Hyatt on all you share so very well.
10:39 am
Dr. Bill, thanks much, as you would know these things, having been along and supplying so much of the backgrounds that you know so well. Feel free to share in any way.
10:59 am
Ah, yes, such inspiring presentation of your trip. Love both your sketches and Anne’s journal. I also saw that village scene, loved his humor and we had such a good time laughing at the details with the kids that I bought a print of the piece to bring home. Glad you had a good trip.
Question for you: how much time do you spend to sketch on the trip (there’s always the tension between exploring more things vs. stop and take the time to draw) and how long does it take you to do each sketch on the average. (I know it varies on time depends how much you get into it.)
11:08 am
Thanks, Sophia. As a wonderful sketcher yourself, you know how long it takes. Usually I do them on the spot, but with a goal like I set, it required filling about six sketchbook pages per day. So I would also sketch during down time, in the hotel room or on the bus, from images captured on the camera phone. Rembrandt didn’t have such tools, but I expect he would have made good use of them.
11:39 am
Thanks for sharing! This was so nice to get to live a little slice of life with the tour.
7:57 am
Both your sketchbooks are wonderful. Love your drawings Hyatt.
8:58 am
Bruce, as coming from such a fine artist, it’s a great compliment, thanks.
12:58 pm
Your images of that magical place are like a breath of fresh air! Thanks for taking us along.
4:03 pm
Bravo Hyatt! A wonderful capture of Holland and the art museums! Thank you for sharing your visions and insights! It was such an honor to have you and Anne on the tour again!
9:11 pm
Lovely, Hyatt. It really captures the spirit of our trip!
7:23 am
What a wonderful way to see this charming city…with art and history in mind and a deep appreciation for it. Rembrandt’s home looks especially interesting. Amazing how they used to make their own paint. Glad you enjoyed it!