The original museum was built in the late 19th century, purposely for art. By the 21st century, it was inadequate for the collection, and a fire hazard as well. It was closed in 2003 and completely renovated, and a new building was constructed for visitor services, including space for special exhibits. The museum re-opened in 2012.
The new wing is shocking. It not only doesn't fit in with its surroundings, it doesn't even look like a building: it looks like a bathtub. It was designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects, who explained that they wanted a structure that looks like it came from 2012. The main part of the building is made of a molded synthetic material that is usually used for the hulls of boats, and similar things.
The overhang creates a wide shady area around the building. Here's an internet grab that shows both the old and new buildings.
 |
| Stedelijk Museum Internet grab |
The tub sits up on legs; under it are the entrance hall, bookshop and restaurant, in a space surrounded on three sides by glass walls. What it lacks in grace, it makes up for in functionality; the expanded museum is a great place to show art, and it has a very friendly and convenient atmosphere.
 |
| The Bathtub meets a brick wall iPad photo |
The entrance is decorated by an amazing and beautiful work of art: a broad loom wool carpet that covers 3 walls of the tall entrance hall, more than 2100 square feet.
Paul Cézanne, 1839-1906
Cézanne was a leading French Post-Impressionist who is sometimes considered the father of modernism.
Piet Mondrian, 1872-1944
Mondrian was a Dutch painter who is known for his geometric abstraction and a limited color palette.
Kazimir Malevich, 1879-1935
Malevich was a Russian pioneer of geometric abstraction. He called his version Suprematism.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1880-1938
Kichner was a prominent innovator in the German school of Expressionism.
Willem De Kooning, 1904-1997
De Kooning was born in the Netherlands, but he immigrated to New York City early in his career. There he became one of the leaders of Abstract Expressionism.
Agnes Martin, 1912-2004
Agnes Martin was a prominent American abstractionist who generally stuck to horizontal bands of pale colors designed to give the mind a rest from turmoil.
Roy Lichtenstein, 1923-1997
Lichtenstein was an American painter associated with Pop Art. During an early phase of his career he exploited the aesthetic qualities of comic strips.
Ellsworth Kelly, b. 1923
Ellsworth Kelly was an American painter who was the leader of the Minimalist movement.
Sol Lewitt, 1928-2007
Sol Lewitt was an American painter whose murals were a development of Conceptual Art.
 |
| Petra Blaisse & Marieke van den Heuvel Inside Outside, 2012 |
The Collection
Paul Cézanne, 1839-1906
Cézanne was a leading French Post-Impressionist who is sometimes considered the father of modernism.
 |
| Paul Cézanne, 1839-1906 La Montagne Sainte-Victoire, c. 1888 |
Vincent van Gogh, 1853-1890
Van Gogh was a Dutch artist who was one of the most important painters of the Post-Impressionist period.
 |
| Vincent van Gogh, 1853-1890 Kitchen Gardens on Montmartre, 1887 |
Piet Mondrian, 1872-1944
Mondrian was a Dutch painter who is known for his geometric abstraction and a limited color palette.
 |
| Piet Mondriaan, 1872-1944 Tableau III: Composition in Oval, 1914 |
 |
| Piet Mondriaan, 1872-1944 Composition with Blue, Yellow, Red, Black, and Gray, 1922 |
Kazimir Malevich, 1879-1935
Malevich was a Russian pioneer of geometric abstraction. He called his version Suprematism.
 |
| Kazimir Malevich, 1879-1935 An Englishman in Moscow, 1914 |
 |
| Kazimir Malevich, 1879-1935 Suprematist Painting (with black trapezium and red square), 1915 |
 |
| Kazimir Malevich, 1879-1935 Yellow Plane in Dissolution, 1918 |
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1880-1938
Kichner was a prominent innovator in the German school of Expressionism.
 |
| Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1880-1938 Nude Behind a Curtain, 1910/1926 |
Willem De Kooning, 1904-1997
De Kooning was born in the Netherlands, but he immigrated to New York City early in his career. There he became one of the leaders of Abstract Expressionism.
 |
| Willem De Kooning, 1904-1997 Two figures in a Landscape, 1967 Photo by Dan L. Smith, 2015 |
 |
| Willem De Kooning, 1904-1997 The North Atlantic Light, 1977 Photo by Dan L. Smith, 2015 |
 |
| Willem De Kooning, 1904-1997 Morning: The Springs, 1983 Photo by Dan L. Smith, 2015 |
Agnes Martin, 1912-2004
Agnes Martin was a prominent American abstractionist who generally stuck to horizontal bands of pale colors designed to give the mind a rest from turmoil.
 |
| Agnes Martin, 1912-2004 Untitled No. 8, 1981 |
Roy Lichtenstein, 1923-1997
Lichtenstein was an American painter associated with Pop Art. During an early phase of his career he exploited the aesthetic qualities of comic strips.
 |
| Roy Lichtenstein, 1923-1997 As I Opened Fire, 1964 |
Ellsworth Kelly, b. 1923
Ellsworth Kelly was an American painter who was the leader of the Minimalist movement.
 |
| Ellsworth Kelly, b. 1923 White Curve I, 1972 |
Sol Lewitt, 1928-2007
Sol Lewitt was an American painter whose murals were a development of Conceptual Art.
 |
| Sol LeWitt, 1928-2007 Wall Drawing #1084, 2003 |
 |
| Sol LeWitt, 1928-2007 Wall Drawing #1084, 2003 |
 |
| Sol LeWitt, 1928-2007 Complex Form #70, 1989 |
Yves Klein was a French maverick artist who invented his own color of blue and applied it to a variety of unlikely materials.
 |
| Yves Klein, 1928-1962 L’accord bleu (RE 10), 1960 |
 |
| Yves Klein, 1928-1962 Résonance (MG 16), 1960 |
Frank Stella, b. 1936
Stella is an American painter whose early work developed from the principles of Minimalism.
He was an innovator of the shaped canvas with a matching design.
 |
| Frank Stella, b. 1936 Newstead Abbey, 1960 |
Takeaways from the Stedelijk
The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam has bits and pieces of art from the 19th and 20th Century and from several different countries.
Cézanne and van Gogh were prominent Post-Impressionists.
Piet Mondrian was the most important Dutch artist of the 20th century.
Malevich was a Russian who developed a form of geometric abstraction called Suprematism.
Kirchner was a prominent innovator in the German school of Expressionism.
Agnes Martin was an important American abstractionist associated with horizontal bands of pale color.
Lichtenstein was an American associated with Pop Art.
Ellsworth Kelly was the leader of the American school of Minimalism.
Sol Lewitt was an American designer of wall art in the Conceptual movement.
Yves Klein is the Frenchman who invented his own shade of blue.
Frank Stella is an American painter who started his career as a minimalist.
No comments:
Post a Comment