Utrecht, Centraal Museum
Caravaggists, early masters, and more.
Ter Brugghen, a Caravaggio follower.
The Centraal Museum has vast holdings of paintings (notably the Utrecht Caravaggist school), and early Netherlandish painting (Jan van Scorel with his travel group to Jerusalem), a very nice dolls house, and other highlights including modern art and design. This museum has re-opend. Please book a time slot ticket for yourself and for the guide. New: Private Audio system available.
In the basement one sees an ancient ship dating from around the year 1000. Preserved air tight in mud, the wood was preserved.
Jan van Bylert, group of beggars. A unique portrait of poor people.
One of the quirky highlights is Jan van Bijlert: Group Portrait of Old Age Pensioners in the St Jobs Gasthuis (Old age home for the poor), in Utrecht. To the right the caretaker. Up to 1635 the inhabitants were allowed to collect money in the streets twice a year to help fund the Old Age Home. The painter lived in this home himself as a man of about 37. He was born just before the turn of the century and died in 1671. No other painting exists in which the poor are so faithfully portrayed.
On the outskirts, situated very near an unsightly highway ramp, at Prins Hendriklaan 50, is the famous Schroeder house designed by Rietveld. This is a UNESCO world heritage site, one out of 6 in Holland. Visits bookable through the office of Centraal Museum. If you do not book a tour you will admire the exterior only. Visits to the interior have to be pre-arranged ahead of time with the Centraal Museum.
Take a walk in the historic inner city of Utrecht!
Tour by Drs Kees Kaldenbach, a professional Art History scholar with excellent teaching skills. Specialist in Fine art and Design, Architecture and History. VIP entry.
Business card. The logo refers to Vermeer.
HOW TO GET THERE
Utrecht is easy to reach with public transport, by train half an hour from Amsterdam. I hold a Dutch Railways rebate card. For this train tour I can offer you a special rebate of 40% for three separate adult railway tickets. This makes it economical for you as clients. I can join you from your hotel or from the Amsterdam train station.
Various other options are open to you: a) You can hire a car and drive it yourself, and I will join you starting in Amsterdam and will advise you about the best route. b) We can hire a professional taxibus service at around E 70 per hour for about 4 to 5 hours. On top of that you will pay me as the specialist guide. This is the more expensive option.
The Utrecht Dolls House, one of the 5 best in the world.
The Utrecht Dolls House, detail. Note the similarity with the Amsterdam fisherman with blue hat.
The Utrecht ship, preserved in the clay, around the year 1000.
Jan van Scorel, triptych with crucifixion.
Jan van Scorel, Entry of Christ in Jerusalem.
Hero Power woman Trijn van Leemput, who started demolishing Utrecht Castle.
Dirck van Baburen and colleagues.
Granida and Daifilo, a theatre play by P.C. Hooft, signifying pure love, combining spiritual and carnal love.
Baburen, Deposition, detail with a pretty weird angle of deformation.
Ter Brugghen, Matthew saying “Moi?” to Jesus and following him the next moment.
Matchmaker in a brothel, by Van Honthorst.
Kitchen maid, painted by Wtewael. (Pronounce the first W as U U)
Dirk van Baburen, Deposition from the Cross. The lower man who carries Christ has a head so deformed that it becomes a puzzle for us onlookers.