It was such a beautiful stay in the Netherlands! Though "stay" isn't the right word: after one day in Noordwijk we went to the Veluwe - to visit the famous
"Kröller-Müller Museum".
A "Museum & Sculpture" - including many paintings from van Gogh that I had never seen before (not even in print).
I quote from a brochure: "The Kröller-Müller Museum is the lifework of Helene Kröller-Müller. Between 1907 and 1922, she and her husband Anton Köller bought almost 11,500 works of art (...)." So this is her: Helen Kröller-Müller
Very interesting also the 25-hectare outdoor gallery - with 160 modern sculptures in that garden, though we didn't see very much of that because it rained heavily.
You will know me by now: I enjoyed the surrounding nature, though dripping heavily, as much as the art.
And am a little bit proud of a photo I took through the window:
foxglove before a tree.
It looks so serene there. Add the beautiful artwork amd the peace of the trees and a person could spend a lot of time there.
ReplyDeleteDear Mimmylynn, thank you! Yes, I would have loved to be there longer, to walk through the huge woods, to see all the sculptures so surprisingly strewn into the landscape (I am not the biggest fan of sculptures, but what I saw here was promising).
DeleteThank you Britta. It was important for the Kröller-Müller family that they were very rich, but for ordinary Dutch citizens (and for me) it was even more important that they founded a great museum by Helene. Their estate's grounds were very impressive before WW2 and must have given modern visitors a real thrill.
ReplyDeleteI was originally not the greatest van Gogh fan in the entire art world, but the museum showed him off beautifully.
Dear Helen, thank you! Yes, I admire the energy and strong will of Helene, her enthusiasm. A lot of people are rich (look around these days - unbelievable the numbers when I hear which wealth they posses - and wonderful if they spend part of it for something meaningful or helpful for those not so blessed).
DeleteI am happy to hear that you enjoyed ithe Kröller-Müller Museum too, and van Gogh: I love his vitality, the vibrancy of his colours, the roughness of his brush stroke, his being a self-taught person, and his originality.
Sounds like the kind of trip where even the rain adds to the mood Van Gogh, sculpture, and foxglove in the mist. I can almost feel the quiet of that moment through the window.
ReplyDeleteDear Melody, thank you for your emphatic comment! The atmosphere was really spellbound - and yes: it was quiet (even the many visitors inside), and the long road through the huge dripping woods resembled a treasure hunt.
DeleteI looked at your beautiful blog and love it, happy birthday wishes a bit belated!