The new Rijksmuseum makes it clear in all sorts of ways that it is not just an art history museum, but that it wants to tell the entire history of the Netherlands. The publication of the book 'The history of the Netherlands in 100 objects' fits in perfectly with this.
While Dutch politicians argued and debated for years about a new National History Museum to be built in Arnhem, Amsterdam has been quietly working on such a museum for years. That did not become a place with vague themes such as me &us, water &land or war &peace, but a classic building where the history of the Netherlands is told through historical objects.
For example, the beautiful book 'The history of the Netherlands in 100 objects' was recently published. This edition on the occasion of the new Rijksmuseum is based on the example of the 2011 'History of the world in 100 objects'. Using the collection of the famous British Museum in London, this book took the reader on a fascinating journey through world history. Now the Rijksmuseum takes the reader on a journey through the multifaceted Dutch history, based on its own collection.
Art and history
Of course, paintings by Rembrandt, Appel and Vermeer will pass by. But also a doll's house, a statue of a Dutch count, a Catholic chalice and a coat from a concentration camp. Based on each object, Gijs van der Ham, senior curator at the History Department of the new Rijksmuseum, tells a story that is typical of a certain period in Dutch history.
Take the statue of the Dutch count. It is one of the 55 centimeters high tomb statues on the tomb of Isabella van Bourbon, who died in 1465 while traveling from Gorinchem to Ghent. They were originally twenty-four statuettes of noblemen. This statue represents Albrecht of Bavaria, Isabella's great-grandfather. Albrecht was long dead when the statuette was made of him.
He stood on the grave to indicate the importance of the Burgundian dynasty. He governed Holland, Zeeland and Hainaut, a position that would later be held by the Dukes of Burgundy. The Bourbon dynasty was very important for the medieval history of the Netherlands.
Old and New
Or take, for example, the painting 'De Zielenvisserij', painted by Adriaen van de Venne in 1614. In it he comments on the religious and political conflicts of his time. A lot is happening in this almost two meter wide painting. We see both Protestants and Catholics fishing people out of the water. The Protestants are stable in their boat, but the Catholic sloop almost seems to sink. On the Protestant side (left) a tree is in full bloom, with the Catholics the tree has almost perished.
On the banks, besides church people, there are also political leaders of the Eighty Years' War against Spain. On the left bank, among others, Frederik Hendrik and Maurits, together with Protestant princes from Europe. On the right are the Spanish governors who ruled the Southern Netherlands. For whom Van de Venne made this painting and why is unknown. But the message is clear. Orange and Protestantism are the future.
The explanations for all one hundred objects in this book are reasonably concise, but no less expert and clear as a result. The objects more or less tell a chronological story. Although the first object, the painting 'The Elisabeth Flood' from 1490, is not the oldest. It depicts a dramatic flood in the Dordrecht area. It has been chosen as a prologue, because the battle of the Dutch against the water is one of the most important red threads in our history.
No Romans
The last object in the book is also special. It is the counter-tab 'Oud West Thuis Best', by artist Arno Coenen from 2007. The tablau refers to all kinds of contemporary developments such as immigration and multicultural society. Two kickboxers are central, but also a portrait of William of Orange. The sides consist of traditional Moroccan tiles, but the three crosses of Amsterdam are also clearly visible. The Arabic text states, among other things:'But they are our Moroccans.'
The oldest object in the book is a stone relief with the apostle Peter from the abbey church of Egmond from about 1140 (although the stone had been used as a sarcophagus lid since about 900). The earliest history of our country, prehistory, the Roman period and the early Middle Ages, is unfortunately missing from the book. For the simple reason that objects from this time are not in the Rijksmuseum collection.
But despite this unavoidable shortcoming, Van der Ham has done a brilliant job. Finally, the past of the Netherlands can be found in one place. The objects and descriptions provide an almost tangible picture of our history. It is actually a pity that there are 'only' a hundred.