In 1662 the fabulously wealthy Trip family moved into the stateliest private residence in all of Amsterdam. Hanging above a mantelpiece in one of the private rooms was this portrait of two of the Trip daughters: Margarita, wearing a helmet and a breastplate, represents Minerva (goddess of art and science), and the eager student kneeling by her side is her eleven-year old sister Anna Maria. In reality, Anna Maria received instruction from a private tutor.

Margarita Trip as Minerva, Instructing her Sister Anna Maria Trip, 1663 by Ferdinand Bol.

 In 1662 the fabulously wealthy Trip family moved into the

Johannes Vermeer had the extraordinary gift to create calming and pleasing scenes.

The Little Street is part of the free audio tour of the Rijkmuseum in Amsterdam, available in the Amuze app (www.amuzeapp.com). You can try it out virtually from your home!

The Amuze app offers many more tours of some of the best art museums in the world. Check it out and I would love to hear what you think!

 Johannes Vermeer had the extraordinary gift to create

Hals, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Vermeer or someone else? These and more artists are part of the free, virtual audio tour of the Rijksmuseum in the Amuze app: www.amuzeapp.com

 Who is your favorite Dutch painter? Hals, Rembrandt, Van

The Cannon Shot (1680) by Jan van de Velde the Younger (1633-1707) is not part of a battle, it is rather a salute as the ship is about to leave.

We can see that the sailing ship with three masts is raising its sails to leave. And the effects of the cannon shot are beautifully illustrated by the enormous clouds of smoke.

The Dutch artist Van de Velde created a beautiful contrast between the calm sea and the chaotic effects of the cannon shot. It is as if time stands still for a moment and the sea wishes the ship good luck on its mission.

 Can you hear the blast? The Cannon Shot (1680) by Jan van

Long before Google Street View, Johannes Vermeer already created a beautiful balanced view of a street in Delft.

The Little Street is a unique painting in Vermeer's oeuvre and is on display in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

 Long before Google Street View, Johannes Vermeer already

Jan Adam Kruseman (1804-1862) was the portrait painter of choice for the Dutch high society in the beginning of the 19th century.

These two portraits are typical works, a person in the latest fashion with a dog.

 Jan Adam Kruseman (1804-1862) was the portrait painter of

Johannes Vermeer had a sublime feel for calming compositions, approaching perfection.

I just made a two-minute video explaining why this 17th-century version of Google Streetview is such a wonderful work. See the link in my bio.

 Johannes Vermeer had a sublime feel for calming

This portrait shows a beautiful girl painted with utmost precision!

I just uploaded an video in which you can learn more about the Portrait of a Girl Dressed in Blue by Johannes Verspronck: https://youtube.com/watch?v=HcNyiss70t4

This painting is on display in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

 This portrait shows a beautiful girl painted with utmost

The Rijksmuseum is among the first of the big art museums that has reopened.

Syndics of the Draper's Guild is one of many wonderful Rembrandt paintings in this museum.

And this work is part of our free highlights audio tour of the Rijksmuseum (www.amuzeapp.com)

 The Rijksmuseum is among the first of the big art museums

Rembrandt: The Night Watch; Militia Company (1642) - Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

With effective use of sunlight and shade, Rembrandt leads the eye to the three most important characters among the crowd, the two gentlemen in the centre (from whom the painting gets its original title), and the small girl in the centre left background. Behind them, the company's colours are carried by the ensign, Jan Visscher Cornelissen.

 Details of; Rembrandt: The Night Watch; Militia Company

Jan Steen (c. 1626 – 1679): Self-portrait Circa 1670,  oil on canvas, 73 x 62 cm (28.7 x 24.4 in), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Jan Havickszoon Steen was a Dutch genre painter of the 17th century (also known as the Dutch Golden Age). Eighteenth-century biographers record that his teachers included Nicolaus Knupfer, Adriaen van Ostade and landscapist Jan van Goyen. Steen painted a huge number of works, especially genre paintings showing cheerful people having fun. He also painted portraits, as well as historical scenes. Remarkably, given the meager living he made from art, Jan Steen was the humorist among Dutch painters. He persevered, creating nearly eight hundred pictures, most with a moral beneath the wit. His paintings are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. To augment his income, Steen started a brewery in Delft and opened a tavern at his house. Biographers have described him as a man with little sense of restraint, yet that seems to be based more on his paintings than on hard fact.

In this self-portraid here Jan Steen depicted himself as a self-assured artist, in decorous black, seated against a red curtain and tassel. With this type of self-portrait Steen followed the example of famous artists such as Titian and Rembrandt. The portrait is an exception in his oeuvre. He usually included himself in other paintings, in a comic role.