Years ago, when I first met Kees Kaldenbach, I was impressed by his knowledge of the 17th century Dutch Masters, in particular Jan Steen. From 2015 on I had the pleasure to work together with Kees. We worked not only in art museums but also during tours in Amsterdam. Kees is a very good colleague, who knows how to inspire not only private, but also more extended groups. His enthousiasm and impressive knowledge is one-of-a-kind. He knows how to look at art and is capable of showing this to his guests. In this way you’ll have an experience you won’t forget. I surely recommend Kees to be your next guide or tourleader.
July 2013: Ricardo N and his wife Francis S. live in New York City and are full-time NYC art aficionados, travelling the world and visiting most of the fine art centers in Europe. In June-July 2013 they toured for three full days with Drs Kees Kaldenbach. Ricardo: “I would rate you as terrific. It is a great treat being with you – You saved my life in showing me the Mauritshuis collection – I thought it was completely closed!”
Francis N.: “Kees is outstanding… he has a very rare gift among any the great number of professional tour guide we met in our lifetime… in presenting a deep and very specific art history knowledge, and in combining this with passion and and easy going presentation.
My husband and I have spent our lives in the art world of NYC and the West Coast. We have rarely met such a wonderful guide. Kees is an outstanding fountain of visual knowledge and historic insight. He truly is top class within the field of Western art history!”
May 17, 2011. Dean Dalton traveled with a group of 7 wealthy people and arranged many months ahead for the Best of the Best in hotels, food, transportation, music and fine art guides. The tour agent wrote to me: “All fascinated and very impressed.” Dean Dalton, tour leader, published this text at http://www.deandaltontours.com/travel-day/70
“Today Kees, our art historian guide took us to the Rijksmuseum to see the highlights of the Dutch Golden Age: Vermeer, Jan Steen, Frans Hals, and Rembrandt. to name only the most important of the lot. A world-renowned Vermeer specialist, he offered unique insights into Vermeer’s The Kitchen Maid (1658-60) and The Little Street (cc. 1658). For the connoisseurs and beyond, Kees’s lecture on the Dutch masterpieces was fascinating. We left the museum feeling fortunate to have had such a scholarly yet personable guide at our disposal.”
Summer, 2007. My husband and I travel the world to stay alive — to see with new eyes and stretch our minds. We love museums and fine food, sometimes stopping at out of the way Michelin-starred restaurants. With Drs. Kees Kaldenbach we had the best of both worlds. During the day we took a car trip to the Kröller-Möller sculpture garden and fine art museum, where we would certainly have missed the hidden staircase leading into the astonishing Jean Dubuffet’s Jardin d’Email without him. Inside the museum, he gave us a humanities course on Impressionist painting, our favourite kind of art. Later that day we drove to a picture-perfect village between Utrecht and Amsterdam, boasting a fine restaurant with one Michelin star, and there the three of us enjoyed an exquisite meal to end a perfect day.
To fully enjoy Holland, you need a guide like Drs. Kaldenbach.
Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch
President, US-China Education Trust
Washington, DC , USA
I am sending you the details for Kees Kaldenbach. He is one of the few guides in Europe that I am confident can provide you with the kind of experience you have got used to with me. Like me he is wildly overqualified to be a guide and should be doing something else. That is his secret.You must book him to take you around the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum. He will tell you you have to start early. Do it! He’s worth whatever his fee is! Trust me on this!Gabe
Kees Kaldenbach was brilliant. I’m sure that he could have given us a dozen different tours of the Rijksmuseum, given the breadth of the collection. But, he asked our interests and tailored a brilliant and insightful tour to our principal interests. Response after Tour, 29 March 2017.
Kees Kaldenbach accompanied a Samuel Courtauld Society visit to Amsterdam and Haarlem in May 2017, to support a Professor from The Courtauld Institute of Art. His organisation was extremely efficient. He was well-informed about the history and culture of the Netherlands across all historical periods, communicating a wealth of up-to-date information in a lively and accessible way.
The Samuel Courtauld Society is the world’s foremost art history university (alumni are found as directors in foremost art institutes worldwide) as well as presenting a collection of fine art in their London, England museum.
Chinese client response:
“On 22 April, my wife and I got a new understanding on Amsterdam with private tour guided by Kees Kaldenbach although we lived in this beautiful city for several years. 四月二十七号，Kees Kaldenbach为我和妻子单独导游了阿姆斯特丹。尽管我们在这座美丽城市生活过多年，我们依然从这次导游中对马姆斯特丹有了新的认识。We have a specific interest on Amsterdam School. Through Wikipedia regarding Amsterdam School, we found this specialized tour regarding Amsterdam School operated by Kees. 由于我们的特定兴趣，从Wikipedia我们发现了Kees提供的阿姆斯特丹建筑学派导游活动。We communicated our specific interest to Kees weeks prior to the tour. 出发前我们和Kees沟通了我们的兴趣。
When we met up with Kees, he already did his research in public archive and relevant websites. The findings are very much exceeding my expectation and helped me tremendously for the understanding of Amsterdam School and our specific interests.
当我们见到Kees，他已经从公众档案和有关网页收集有关资料。这些资料超出我们的预期，帮助我们对阿姆斯特丹学派有了非常多的了解。We enjoyed the tour because of high enthusiasm and broad knowledge of Kees regarding Amsterdam School and this fabulous city!
Kees热情洋溢的讲解和他对阿姆斯特丹学派的知识让我们非常享受这次游览！No doubt that Kees guides professional tours.
Kees导游是非常高的专业水平。But if you have specific interests or requirements on the area or Amsterdam School, please tell and hire Kees. He is able to address your needs in a way that no others could do better!
如果你对阿姆斯特丹市或阿姆斯特丹建筑学派有兴趣，请告诉和聘请Kees。他可以有针对性的安排私人游览项目，水平无人可及！
Dear Drs. Kaldenbach: Again, we thank you for the terrific tour of the Rijksmuseum. We very much enjoyed and appreciate your unique insights, especially those of Vermeer. As you recommended, we will of course see the Vermeer „Art of Painting” in Vienna on Monday. Upon our next visit to Amsterdam, we would very much look forward to your guiding us into your insights of Van Gogh as our next lecture from Professor Kaldenbach. A most enjoyable and memorable morning!! Very Best Regards; Brent, Sally, Heather & Scott, James.
PS: Drs. Kaldenbach’s expertise on the wide variety of art throughout the museum is only exceeded by his scholarly accomplishments on Vermeer. A very memorable morning
Kees Kaldenbach is one of the most exceptional museum guides we have encountered in many decades of travel. He has a remarkable ability to enable the viewer to understand how it is the viewing certain paintings greatly enriches one’s life. Kees joined us for 3 days. The first was to the Rijksmuseum, the second the to the Van Gogh Museum, and the third to the Hague to visit the Mauritshuis and Gemeentemuseum. All three experiences were most memorable. He has a rare ability to convey vast scholarly knowledge in a way that is immediate and compelling.
Peter V, Colorado
We spent several hours with Kees Kaldenbach. We traveled to Rotterdam (for personal historical reasons) by train for the day. Strong ability to convey the history of Amsterdam and the Netherlands along with hearing his perspective on Amsterdam today. Had a wonderful walking tour, boat ride and art museum visit with Kees. I don’t think I will every go to an art museum again without having a guide like Kees – he made the art accessible and the history come alive. Highly recommend him for an art, architecture and/or history tour. Traveled with our 17 year old son who thoroughly enjoyed him.
Kees arranged a day trip for me to view the Deltaworks this week. He did a great deal of research on this enormous project by The Netherlands that spanned 40 years to hold back the sea. I contracted with Kees to spent a half day walking the city of Amsterdam and enjoyed his great knowledge and obvious love of the city. Can’t wait to bring back my wife to enjoy Kees and North Holland again.
Drs. Kees Kaldenbach is a renaissance man and scholar – his tour of the Rijksmuseum was one of the best museum tours i have ever had and i have toured museums with guides for years. what makes him special is that he not only has studied the works and can address any spontaneous questions but he also knows how to read his audience. He is the first guide that I have had that realized when i was tired and could use a cup of coffee before i had to ask – wow! We booked a 3 hour private tour of the Rijksmusem to help the children learn about Dutch art and history in a more interactive manner than an acoustic guide and I can not wait to return and have him teach us about Van Gogh. This is a gem of a tour – you will not be disappointed!!
Amsterdam Rijksmuseum tour: “Very knowledgeable docent with strong communication skills. We learned a great deal over course of tour.
”
Months after our tour, this reflection came in:
Preparing to visit the “Vermeer and the the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry” exhibit that is currently showing at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. tomorrow. Of course, I needed to know how your study of Vermeer was progressing, recalling the time we spent with you. Wonderful to know that you appear to be well and are continuing to shed more light on this phenomenal artist. Please know that my husband and I still refer to your Vermeer lecture as one of our most inspiring travel experiences. Thank you again for the work you have chosen to share.
Best regards,
Phyllis Guthrie
Al Кейс ведёт туры очень познавательно и очень увлекательно. Пол дня пролетели как пять минут. Его рассказы увлекут всех туристов: от самых высоких профессионалов и интеллектуалов до самых маленьких детей. Кейс ведёт туры по Амстердаму, Гааге и всей Голландии и занимается этим уже больше 20лет. Мы были на разных турах по всему миру, и Кейс нам особенно запомнился.
Kees conducts art tours – very informative and very exciting. Half a day flew by like five minutes. His stories will enthrall all tourists: from the highest professionals and intellectuals to the youngest children. Kees conducts tours of Amsterdam, The Hague and the whole of Holland and has been doing this for more than 20 years. We were on different tours around the world, and that of Kees was especially memorable to us.
A tour [in Delft] with Kees Kaldenbach is a true discovery!
As an art historian who works as a guide, I wanted to increase my knowledge about the city of Delft.
A walk there with Kees showed his work is invaluable! Kees knows all places in the city related to the life of Johannes Vermeer, as the history of numerous historic buildings and monuments. His vivid way of speaking and his enthusiasm have created three amazing and very instructive hours in this beautiful city!
His private art tour is highly recommended for (art) historians, but also for all those interested in history, art, culture and Dutch heritage.
Dear Kees,
Phenomenal!Touring with you was like being friends with the top curator of a major art museum.
Your mountain of knowledge allowed you to zig and zag with our questions and flow seamlessly back into your captivating analysis.
Thank you for engaging each and every family member. It was a delight to be with you, and we feel lucky to have had the experience.
Sincerely,
Leigh and Daniel Levine
What a great tour! He made it so interesting and gave us information that we would have never known going on our own. I had my 11 year old and 20 year old with my husband and I and they were both enthralled the whole time! We highly recommend!
In the Mauritshuis, I was guiding four clients. A lady was keenly eavesdropping and I invited her in for the next short subject, a talk about the Goldfinch by Fabritius.
This was her emailed response a day later:„Dear Drs. Kaldenbach, I want to thank you for including me “for two minutes” today during your tour session. It was very nice of you to perceive my interest in knowing more about The Goldfinch painting. The information was extremely interesting to me. I have been to a few museums during my visit to Amsterdam and paid for tour guide’s services. However, I learned more from you in those two minutes than an hour with others. Your kindness to include me was appreciated and want you to know your knowledge about art is inspiring.
My best, Jil Jensen.”
A remarkable scene in the Mauritshuis, September 2018, in front of the big Rembrandt, Anatomical Lesson with Professor Tulp. You started out with us three but within no-time you commanded the attention of the entire room with 20 other visitors. This shows your outstanding street credibility as a talented senior fine art professor! Thanks for the added visit to the Mondrian paintings in the Gemeentemuseum.
“Delightful !”
Hi Kees, Thank you for the amazing morning! We loved it. Here is our quick comment on tour: Seeing the Van Gogh Museum with Kees was truly the best tour we have ever experienced! This tour gave us an incredible glimpse into Vincent’s life and art. Excellent tour with an excellent guide and teacher! Again, Thank You, Anna and Sandra
Kees accompanied us with our 15 year old grandson to visit the Koller-Muller Museum. It was an outstanding tour because Kees was able to excite him about artists and trends that he knew very little about before our visit. In addition to the paintings, we had a wonderful walk in the Sculpture Gardens where our grandson climbed the very long, high LookOUT!steps to the lookout. Kees made the day very special for all three of us. Bob and Martie Sachs
For the staff of travel agency Indagare we organised an excursion to the Frick Collection, NYC. This was the response afterwards:
I am SO GLAD that you’re free- because you’re just the type of brilliant intellectual that the clients will really appreciate and enjoy.
Your Content Goes Here
In November 2018, a client from Detroit, Michigan, USA invited me to join him and his wife in his mansion, and to accompany him and his friends to the great museums of Detroit and Toledo, Ohio. This was one review:
“Dear Kees, Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge with us yesterday. All of us in the group were impressed with your special connection to the art we examined. What makes you unique in my experience is your ability to break down mysteries into the pragmatic and manageable. The process, the techniques, the reflexion on history, and the business of art then and now are all evident when we seek it. Of course, you look deeper than just about anyone and have discovered treasure after treasure as a result. Quest forth. I hope you will find a publisher for your latest Vermeer work in the coming year.
Again, Dank Je, Kees. All the Best, Joe LoDuca”
Good evening Kees. Just a note to say thanks a million once again!!!! We really, really enjoyed the visit to the museums tremendously!! I especially did the Van Gogh museum! When you told us the bit about how he probably died, I had to work hard not to burst out in tears….especially since the works he did, those 3 hanging on the wall….. were so powerful and unbelievably strong it moved one more than I would ever have though possible. Especially me – I see myself as a very pragmatic person…not too emotional? Therefore the books you gave me are VERY precious! Thanks a million once again. If you come to South Africa one day – let us know. Enjoy your great museum tours – they are magnificent! Corlia
August 2016. We would be very pleased to write our comments. I wanted to also send a note of thanks. You had a magical way of bringing the paintings to life and creating an interesting story that left us wanting more. You made a significant impact on Hannah. She shared at dinner tonight that she misses you. We are retelling stories already. Thank you again.
Dear Drs. Kees: “I cannot thank you enough for opening our eyes to the wonders of your lovely country and the 3 greatest museums in the Netherlands. You not only told us how Vermeer must have used the Camera Obscura as a tool to paint his masterpieces, you allowed us “an actual glimpse into the Camera Obscura” where everything is more clear and a bit brighter as you taught us to view the Vermeer’s, Rembrandt’s and indeed all art with a more practiced eye!
Thank you again, for making our journey a once in a lifetime experience and for your sense of humor and professionalism which contributed to everyone’s enjoyment and 100% pure fun.
We traveled on to the Mauritshuis at De Hague and did indeed view the “Girl with the Hollow Silver Ball Earring” as well as “View of Delft”. For a few minutes, we considered traveling to Delft to compare the picture with today’s Delft, but were soon advised of the unsuitability of this venture….the city cannot accommodate a coach as it’s lanes are too narrow and, of course, the time constraints. Perhaps next time.
Best regards to you and yours,
Debra Roberts
Trip Chairman
Antique Study Club of Tulsa, OK. May 2, 2010
After lecturing in Atlanta, Georgia: „We wanted to express our gratitude for the insightful lectures you gave on Rembrandt at Oglethorpe University Museum of Art in honour of our celebrating his 400th Birthday with the special exhibition: “Sordid and Sacred: the beggars in Rembrandt’s etchings”.
Your skilful presentations captivated our record-breaking audience. These fine lectures were able to be appreciated on several levels from novice to professional. Your lectures have a rare quality of being soundly based on your thorough study of Rembrandt, mixed with your keen, first-hand observation and your quick, fluid creative assessments and solutions to visual questions.
Above all you are highly attentive to your audience by involving them into your lecture.
Thank you again for your visit.
Respectfully yours,
Lloyd Nick
Director
Oglethorpe University Museum of Art”
Kees Kaldenbach is the most interesting art guide I know. I did several tours with him, he is really inspiring and one of the best educated art historian in town. He specialises in Johannes Vermeer, but going out to into towns for a tour is also nice. His knowledge and overview are excellent and besides that he has a great sense of humour. Never a dull moment with Kees!
My husband and I took a guided tour of the Rijksmuseum with Kees. It was fantastic. He is a fount of knowledge and insight. I am an artist and Kees happily tailored our visit to the art we were interested in exploring. A highlight was our in-depth discussion of Vermeer and his paintings. Kees is a Vermeer scholar and we had fun discussions about the paintings and Vermeer’s technique. I highly recommend Kees for any guided art-focused tour. JD
My husband and I took a guided tour of the Rijksmuseum with Kees. It was fantastic. He is a fount of knowledge and insight. I am an artist and Kees happily tailored our visit to the art we were interested in exploring. A highlight was our in-depth discussion of Vermeer and his paintings. Kees is a Vermeer scholar and we had fun discussions about the paintings and Vermeer’s technique. I highly recommend Kees for any guided art-focused tour. JD
Dear Kees,
Many thanks for your recent tour of the Rijksmuseum. You have a profound knowledge of the paintings which we saw and communicated that knowledge in a lively and enlightening manner. You brought out many fascinating details which most would overlook. The tour was a memorable event and a high spot of our trip to the Netherlands.
Sincerely,
Ben Wells
Houston, Texas
24 may, 2017.
“We had a delightful tour of Amsterdam with Kees Kaldenbach. He is knowledgeable and passionate about the city, and is very good at making the details of many aspects of the city come alive. Many students in our group continued to talk about the tour throughout the day. That’s solid evidence of good teaching, This tour was one of the high points of our visit to Amsterdam!”
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
Bewertung Tour: „VIP Führung Reichsmuseum mit Kunsthistoriker“.
Eines vorweg: diese Führung war nicht nur für mich als Erwachsene sondern auch für die 14 jährigen Mädchen so ein wunderbares Erlebnis, dass wir immer wieder davon sprechen und sogar schon in ein Museum in Innsbruck gegangen sind, um unser „Wissen“, welches Herr Drs. Kaldenbach uns vermittelt hat an den Gemälden „auszuprobieren“.
Das Reichsmuseum ist ja viel zu groß um in ein paar Stunden alles zu sehen, aber was uns gezeigt und erklärt wurde, war so lehrreich und umfassend, dass man es in einem Tag oder einer Woche im Museum ohnehin niemals erfahren hätte. Und so bleibt diese Führung mit Drs. Kaldenbach ganz was Außergewöhnliches.
Was mich besonders beeindruckt hat, seine Art, wie er es verstanden hat auf Jugendliche, die sich ja noch nicht so in dieser Welt befinden bzw. überhaupt schon was davon zu wissen, einzugehen und dazu möchte ich ihm meinen Dank und Respekt ausdrücken.
Ich wünsche mir viele solche Führungen, wie ich sie mit ihm in Amsterdam erleben durfte!!! Ich kann nur jedem empfehlen, wenn er wirklich was erleben will, machen Sie es wie wir und buchen sie Drs. Kaldenbach. Und Herrn Mannheimer (siehe Kaldenbach web site) werden wir auch in Erinnerung behalten, der regt auch zu intensiven Diskussionen an!!
Herzlichen Dank und beste Grüße
Elisabeth Hoschek, Österreich.
A Rijksmuseum highlight tour for young people:
Firstly, I would love to thank you again on behalf of Shiho and I for your lovely tour this morning. We both had an absolutely wonderful time, learned lots of interesting things, and greatly appreciated your expertise. Thank you again and hopefully the next time we are in Amsterdam we will be able to meet once more!
Great to meet you and again our thanks for a wonderful day in Amsterdam with you, especially getting to know Vermeer with your amazing knowledge, we found it all quite fascinating. Thank you.
Hope we can do it again in the not too distant future. Simon
Drs. Kees, Thank you. You were very knowledgeable and we truly enjoyed the experience of seeing the museums with your expert guidance. Not only that you made it fun and funny. We would and will recommend you to anybody.Jonathan R. Mehl, Esq. (After Rijksmuseum + Van Gogh Museum visits)
My wife and I engaged Kees for an all-day visit to the Kroller – Muller museum (it was an amazing day). We were so happy with him that we asked him to show us the Vermeers and other outstanding Dutch artwork at the Rijks Museum. Kees has an extraordinary depth of knowledge, his English was perfect, he conveyed his expertise in an entertaining fashion, was a pleasant companion, and did a great job optimizing our experience based upon our interests and time we had available. We have had many guides around the world (including a number of art experts), but none were better than Kees.
From: Kate (Ekaterina) MalakhovaRussian:Музеи это не всегда интересно. Особенно когда в них заложен слишком большой объем информации рассчитанный на лимитированное количество времени. Благодаря Drs Kees Kaldenbach, великолепному гиду и искусствоведу (!), всего за 3 часа мы смогли посмотреть все самые главные картины голландских художников, а также узнали о культуре и истории этой прекрасной страны. Интересные факты о художниках и их работах, рассказы о картинах, о который даже работники музея обычно не рассказывают (и о которых нету возможности послушать через плеер музея) все это лишь мелочи, добавляющие в поездку и поход в музей больше вдохновения.
А еще Drs Kees Kaldenbach прекрасный собеседник. За небольшой перерыв на кофе и кусочек пирога с кремом нам удалось узнать чуть больше о нашем гиде: помимо невероятных знаний в искусстве и заворажительных историй, можно похвастаться, что его исследования о картине “Gezicht op Delft” Вермеера (J. Vermeer) используются искусствоведами по всему миру!Спасибо большое! Это было незабываемо!English:Museums are not always interesting. Especially when they contain too much information for a limited amount of time.Thanks to Drs Kees Kaldenbach, a wonderful guide and art historian (!), In just 3 hours we were able to see all the most important paintings of Dutch artists, as well as learned about the culture and history of this beautiful country. Interesting facts about artists and their works, stories about paintings, which even the museum staff usually do not talk about (and about which there is no way to listen through the player of the museum) are all just trivia adding to the trip and going to the museum more inspiration… and beauty.Over a short break for coffee and a slice of apple pie, we managed to learn a little more about our guide: in addition to incredible knowledge in art and fascinating stories, one can boast that his research on the painting “Gezicht op Delft” by Johannes Vermeer is used by art historians all over the world!Thank you so much! It was unforgettable!
Al Кейс ведёт туры очень познавательно и очень увлекательно. Пол дня пролетели как пять минут. Его рассказы увлекут всех туристов: от самых высоких профессионалов и интеллектуалов до самых маленьких детей. Кейс ведёт туры по Амстердаму, Гааге и всей Голландии и занимается этим уже больше 20лет. Мы были на разных турах по всему миру, и Кейс нам особенно запомнился.
Kees conducts art tours – very informative and very exciting. Half a day flew by like five minutes. His stories will enthrall all tourists: from the highest professionals and intellectuals to the youngest children. Kees conducts tours of Amsterdam, The Hague and the whole of Holland and has been doing this for more than 20 years. We were on different tours around the world, and that of Kees was especially memorable to us.
You need to look no further to find a fantastic tour guide/art historian. My husband and had Kees for two mornings at the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. Kees is a remarkable resource for making these museums come to life with rich details backstories as well as his incredible depth of knowledge of art and history. My husband, who is more of a fishing/hunting type than art type, was surprised and delighted at how engaging Kees was and how much he enjoyed our time in the museums. Although I have studied art history, I came away with many new insights and a new appreciation of works i have enjoyed over the years. We give Kees the highest of recommendations.
Dear Drs Kaldenbach, We wish to thank you so much for the wonderful tour of the Rijksmuseum on Monday. And a special thanks for inviting Denise and Morgan to join in. It made the experience all the more enjoyable.
Having an uncrowded view to really study the Rembrandts and Vermeers with your insight was a once in a lifetime privilege. After you left us we continued to explore the museum on our own and had an amazing time. Thanks also for taking the photos. Sincerely,
Mary, Denise and Morgan.
Drs Kaldenbach, I wanted to write to you to let you know that I had a wonderful time on our tour of the Rijksmuseum together with my family. You wanted me to write you with several of my thoughts on the tour, so here they are.
Given my background on the subject matter, I thought your presentation about the artwork in the museum was fantastic because you made it clear, concise, and easy to understand. Each painting felt personalized and easy to grasp because you used language that I could relate to and it made the tour more enjoyable. You brought a lot of energy to the tour which kept me engaged and interested in the material as well. I was especially impressed with our discussion of the Vermeer paintings. Your knowledge and passion for the artist was evident and made me fall in love with his works all over again.I hope I have the chance to come back to Amsterdam and take another tour with you!Sincerely,John Dannehl
After the Rijksmuseum visit for the Sherfey family:
Drs. Kaldenbach’s expertise on the wide variety of art throughout the museum is only exceeded by his scholarly accomplishments on Vermeer. A very memorable morning
Brent Sherfey
Dear Kees,
Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge with us yesterday. All of us in the group were impressed with your special connection to the art we examined. What makes you unique in my experience is your ability to break down mysteries into the pragmatic and manageable. The process, the techniques, the reflexion on history, and the business of art then and now are all evident when we seek it. Of course, you look deeper than just about anyone and have discovered treasure after treasure as a result. Quest forth.
I hope you will find a publisher for your latest Vermeer work in the coming year.
Again, Dank Je, Kees.
All the Best,
Joe LoDuca
A VIP style, 5 full day tour along all of the best art museum in The Netherlands in the spring of 2019
Hello, Kees, Taking this opportunity to thank you again for a most wonderful, extraordinary tour. Every day was a gift of beautiful Dutch art and architecture, infused with profound insights based on your personal experience and research. A truly memorable tour. Best wishes,
J&B, New Haven, CT
June, 2019. Good morning,
Thank you very much for an interesting real life look into the beginnings and workings of the VOC. The tour helped to form pictures in my mind of all the facts that I’ve gathered from reading. Thanks too for you generous offer to pay my museum ticket, and for the lovely chocolate. I’m well informed and familiar with the Khoi resources you’ve send, and that wonderful website with English translations. I appreciate your kindness and look forward to sending you the details once the novel gets published. Keep well and enjoy your beautiful country,
Lizelle
Hubbie and I have been to the Rijks several times. We’ve been to museums all over the world. We’ve had private guides in many of them. None and I mean none compare to Drs. Kees. His tour was far and above all other tours that I have had. We were with another couple who had never set foot in any museum before. Drs. Kees’ knowledge, enthusiasm and ability to explain the art history of the most important works in the museum were just what they needed. All of us were overwhelmed with his passion and how he made artists and their art come to life. When I go back to Amsterdam, I will certainly engage him again.
Hello Kees!
I want to thank you again for our exquisite tour of the Mauritshuis museum today! This might sound cliche, but it was truly a dream come true!! I could never have imagined having someone of your qualifications leading our private tour! You are such a gift to art lovers! Thank you again and best wishes! Virginia Swanson
PS. And, by the way…. your tour was worth 10 times… even100 times, the amount we paid! We’re beyond grateful! Again , best wishes!
In November 2019 Sally Ross, painter from Australia and Drs Kees Kaldenbach, art historian, travelled together in for a week in Germany, visiting numerous art museums and galleries in Munich, Berlin and Frankfurt. We did an Intensive Art Immersion visiting the best art museums.
“I had the pleasure to be guided by Kees on a recent trip through major German art collections. Kees was generous with his considerable knowledge, particularly of Dutch painting. Always good humoured, relaxed yet attentive and a true art-lover, Kees was delightfully devoid of intellectual snobbism […] Kees knows his stuff and he knows when to speak and when to let the art do the talking. Thank you!
Sally Ross, Painter, Australia.”
“A consummate performance”
Great! I am dead serious- you are #1 – the very BEST. I would like to thank you very much for our art appreciation tours with you. We found your impromptu side stop in Leiden was a splendid addition that we very much enjoyed. We found you to be a very brilliant, interesting and personable fellow. I would highly recommend you. Steve Keedy