Amsterdam

In Amsterdam, if you find yourself facing a difficult decision, a should-I-or-shouldn’t-I situation, the answer is always simple and always the same: “Why not!” [Click the photo to view larger in new window.]

There is a good chance that, if you aren’t already, a visit to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam will convert you into an fervent fan of the artist whose troubled nature (i.e., the severed ear lobe, suicide, et cetera) too often eclipses his brilliance in the minds of the general public. You probably won’t leave, however, with a single favorite work. Just when I thought I discovered a favorite, I’d take a few steps and find myself mesmerized by another Van Gogh creation. With such an extensive collection of one artist’s work to explore—from his landscapes and still lifes to self-portraits and peasant life depictions, spanning the various periods of Van Gogh’s life—selecting a lone piece to feature here is a near-impossible task.

Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette (above) stands out among the paintings in the Van Gogh Museum collection for its lack of vivid color and macabre subject matter. Largely self-taught after deciding to become an artist in 1880 at the age of 27, he produced some 900 paintings (along with another 1,100 drawings and sketches) until his untimely death 10 years later. This undated creation, thought to be produced in 1886, is the result of his brief stint (only a few weeks) at the art academy in Antwerp. Van Gogh enrolled to have the opportunity to draw and paint live models, but his wishes clashed with the school’s traditions. “Students…learned by copying prints and studying plaster casts,” according to the museum’s commentary. “After they had progressed sufficiently, they were permitted to study the live model. Skeletons were often used to help them understand human anatomy.” Van Gogh probably painted the skull with cigarette as a joke, lampooning the academy’s strict methods and staid practices.

Global warming is a real threat, according to this anti-establishment piece of street art in Amsterdam.

A building in Amsterdam goes “Boom” with the help of some Lichtenstein-inspired street art. [Click the photo to view larger in new window.]

We purchased our tickets a few months in advance, and now only a few hours of anticipation remained until we saw Modest Mouse. But before we headed to the Melkweg in Amsterdam for the show on Sept. 7, we came upon these rodents: neither mice nor modest. And to think, this wasn’t even the Red Light District. At this moment the paint was still wet, as the artist set up another stencil on another side of this temporary construction wall. As for Modest Mouse and the big show, the band rocked through a wisely crafted setlist, which included—as the sixth song of the night—“King Rat.”

I spent the first two weeks of September abroad, exploring the sights and sounds of three amazing cities: Paris, Amsterdam and London. Not surprisingly, much of the trip (if not all of it) revolved around various forms of art. Each day and night of the journey was filled with all kinds of discoveries—small and large, planned and unexpected, inspiring and entertaining, captivating and exciting.

From paintings, music and theater to architecture, culinary arts and books, art comprised the itinerary: wandering the magnificent and seemingly endless rooms of the Louvre; watching a Shakespeare comedy come to life, as if written just a few weeks prior for HBO, on the banks of the Thames; experiencing an intimate live performance by Modest Mouse in Amsterdam; browsing the shelves of the legendary Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris; spotting some comical or thought-provoking street art; stumbling upon an alternative art gallery on a side street in the City of Light; spending some quality time with the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Kandinsky, Rembrandt, Warhol, Dali, Matisse, Gauguin, Miró, and Picasso while discovering so many others at Musée d’Orsay, Tate Modern and Musée national d’art moderne at Centre Pompidou.

The Madness of Art will feature these delightful discoveries, artistic encounters and inspiring experiences through daily photographic installments in a series titled “Art Abroad” (using mostly original photos I took on the trip, except for memorable pieces I want to share from museums that prohibited cameras). Hope you enjoy the daily tour through the streets and museums of Paris, Amsterdam and London these next few weeks.