Dutch connections

A wonderful Spring break to Amsterdam included a visit to the awe-inspiring Rijksmuseum, home of the art of the Dutch Masters.

It is so vast that we only visited one floor, which included Rembrandt's famous "Night Watch" painted in 1642 and his last big commission. Although this is a wonderful painting, I was soon struck by numerous others painted around the time and highlighting Dutch history, about which I knew little but found fascinating due to its connections to our own. The second half of the 16th century had seen the violent struggle to give birth to the Dutch Republic and gain independence from the Spanish Lord of the Netherlands, Philip 11 of Spain. Tudor enthusiasts among you will remember he was married to Mary 1 and uncrowned "King" of England in the mid 1550's. William of Orange, a Dutch nobleman, emerged as the leader of the revolt which tore the country apart. The North - the present day Netherlands, became a separate, Protestant republic and the South - now Belgium - remained Spanish and Catholic. His grandson William 11 married Mary Stuart, daughter of the unfortunate Charles 1 of England, and their son William married his first cousin Mary, daughter of the future James II of England. They were to rule England jointly as William and Mary following the deposition of the Catholic James, "the Glorious Revolution" and the English Bill of Rights of 1689. This certainly filled in a few gaps in my knowledge of this period of European history. (picture shows William II & Mary Stuart)

Of course, a visit to Amsterdam would not be complete without seeing some of the spectacular dolls' houses built for wealthy ladies in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. If you have not read The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton,

this is my opportunity to recommend this striking novel which brings late medieval Amsterdam to life. The anonymous delivery of items for our heroine's cabinet, a wedding gift from her new husband, strike a haunting note. These houses were made to scale and highly detailed replicas of merchants' houses and, as such provide a wealth of information about the period.

The last connection concerns Japan. Much of the art in the museum features trade and, in particular, the Dutch East India Company and its trade monopoly with Japan. The Dutch operated from Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki Bay, and this is where my second recommended book is set. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell takes place at the turn of the 18th century and is an enthralling love story set in a historical context. The Guardian review of May 2010 says: "With Enlightenment ideas and European corruption washing up to the Japanese coastline, Mitchell creates, in Dejima, a single, dramatic gateway through which to observe the encounter between civilisations from both sides". A bit of a tome but an excellent read.

Of course, it was the also the very best time to visit to see "Tulips from Amsterdam"!