European Adventure 2024, Day 13: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Excerpts from Dory’s journal
Photo captions by Stephanie
Day 13, 10:31 AM, July 8th, 2024
Rijksmuseum
Hello! I am currently getting hurried by my mother as I write on the 13th day. We are in the Rijksmuseum, and we will see the Special collection.
Yours,
Dorrel
The Special Collection was on gender and how it is expressed through posture and clothing, among other things. I particularly liked these breasts, because I look at breasts a lot in my line of work, and these looked back at me.
From the card next to the art: Mirror Breasts, Maria Roosen (1957), glass and mirrored glass with nylon thread, 1993-1999. Breasts are ubiquitous in art and can be viewed unabashedly. However, these glass breasts look back at the viewer, reflecting the surroundings. They are firm and round, yet fragile and hard. Roosen is fascinated by representations of the human body. ‘The physicality is you,’ she explained, ‘it is a kind of self-portrait.’
We tried bitterballen at lunch in the museum cafe. They are not bitter. Turns out, they are deep fried balls of beef stew. (photo: Stephanie)
Post-bitterballen selfie with Mom. (photo: Stephanie)
Day 13 1:30 PM, July 8th, 2024
Rijksmuseum
Hello! I am currently on a bench in the Gallery of Honors. It is moderately loud, but that’s fine. I am still waiting for my watch to be repaired, because it is a Monday, and the shop only opens on Tuesday. And I made 2 inkblots while shaking my pen so that the ink flows. (illegible)!
Yours,
Dorrel
We had to visit The Night Watch, since that was the piece of art Dory recreated for a project at school last year. It is still being restored. (photo: Dory)
Dory was very interested in this chess set designed by a Nazi occupier in The Netherlands during WW2. (photo: Dory)
Another angle on the chess set. (photo: Dory)
From the explanatory card: This chess set glorifies the conquest of Nazi Germany. The chess pieces are shaped like weapons, and the text in the border refers to countries that were occupied by Germany in 1939 and 1940. The chess set was made by a German soldier: artist Georg Fung from Koningsbergen, who was stationed in The Netherlands. It was shown in 1941 at the exhibition Kunst der Front organized by the German occupier in the Rijksmuseum.