4/4 A Night at the Rijksmuseum

• A Night at the Rijksmu...
First broadcast: 18 Apr 2013.
Andrew Graham-Dixon goes behind the scenes at the Rijksmuseum as the staff prepare to open the doors following a ten-year renovation, the most significant ever undertaken by a museum. Featuring over 8,000 works of art, Holland's national museum tells the story of 800 years of Dutch history and houses a world-famous collection including masterpieces by artists from Vermeer to Rembrandt. So, as the final paintings are rehung and objects settle into their new home, has the long wait been worth it?

[@littbitterst2328]

I'd give just about ANYTHING to visit this museum ♡♡♡

[@tallthinwavy3]

Another great Andrew Graham-Dixon documentary.

[@carolynhurlburt3054]

wonderful & wonderful narration. Could we have more just like this one?

[@albertlacanilao4332]

Wonderful presentation...keep the excellent job Mr Andrew.

[@qingchinesecalligraphy3123]

After watching it I need run to Rijksmuseum now

[@jackmundo4043]

Tremendous. Thank you.

[@hoek334]

last statement of you mr. Graham : where you never informed about Dutch science, architecture , social movements , univerities ,politics a.s.o. over the ages. Trade is and has been only a part of Dutch society and history. Apart from that you made a very interesting film as well as a living document. Thank you!

[@rcosl1]

This painting shows the couple William II (not William III) and Mary Henrietta.

[@_Willem_]

the Merchant and the Pastor ruled through these victorious times in the Netherlands, you can say. This combination worked remarkable well for Holland, especial when you realize that they accomplish all of that with only 2 million people. With 2.500 Merchant ships for the trade all over the world and a War fleet of about 100 ships to protect us. And not to forget the many great historical figures of name.

[@mos9738]

sorry mr dixson the tulip came fro Iran and turkey, not from the far east.

[@chrisburger5477]

Indonesia was a Dutch project. The Dutch made of Indonesia one country. Without the Dutch Indonesia did not exist.

[@You-mr3lo]

Thats a way to put it

[@cskarbek1]

thanks very much for posting this!!!!! just the break we all need from all the gruesome news! a bas covid!!!

[@ahmedfallah]

very nice

[@jbidwell605]

Completely disagree with his final statements. Arts and culture have always mattered to the Dutch; they have some of the best museums and best preserved art and architecture in all of Europe. It's always been this way.

[@Nopsem]

He did say now he thinks again though

[@zimonslot]

Completely agree. Dutch are a seedy moneygrubbing bunch that only think in terms of money as value.

[@markknoop6283]

@@zimonslot we actually give away the most money. Otherwise there was no EU.

[@zimonslot]

@@markknoop6283 oh look, EU-sceptic reveals himself. Let me guess, you're pro-Trump & Putin?

[@markknoop6283]

@@zimonslot I don't think Trump or Potin are willing to give away a euro. Do you know how much we are investing in the EU.

[@littbitterst2328]

That chess set from Himmler... Uugghh...what a demon. Fascinating historical story...but, I mean, YIKES

[@pauc9596]

Great commentary but terrible filming as they show so little of the building and the collection. Even when objects are being highlighted in the commentary the filming focuses on the presenter instead of the item. They need to learn from the wildlife documentaries narrated by David Attenborough where the filming concentrates on the subject and only occasionally on the presenter.

[@tnecklover]

The painting at the beginning shows the parents of William III, not William and Mary, neither of whom were born yet!

[@hoek334]

tnecklover This IS William lll, also called Willem II

[@tnecklover]

I think we might have our Williams confused. The painting I'm seeing some two seconds into the show depict the parents of William III of England when they married in 1641.

[@hoek334]

tnecklover Ah yes you are quite right ! Always have been mistaken . Learned something new !

[@tnecklover]

Not a problem. Did you know both of them perished from smallpox a decade apart?

[@gregoiredevet6787]

I swear Alan Partridge would have roared just like that (6.36). This is a meme.

[@Justmynewaccount]

13:13 Well you see, Andrew: All this art and culture doesn't come for free. Its maintenance needs to be paid for.

[@shwndhh]

HA! Below I mean Mr. Graham--Dixon! Poetic justice for criticizing the master of the BBC art critics...

[@valeria-militiamessalina5672]

I just think the wonderful Asian collection it’s not showcased at all, they are just displayed in front of blank walls and what looks like poor lighting; when you have such things more thought should be given to the space around ..

[@MilesBellas]

0:12 another marriage to a cousin 14 and 9

[@zimonslot]

Bit weird to accuse the Nazi's as dirty colonialist-driven. The Dutch had many, many, many colonies.

[@markknoop6283]

That is really the most ignorant remark I have seen.

[@zimonslot]

@@markknoop6283 tuff luck fuckface.

[@shwndhh]

10:10 The rooks in the Nazi chess set are artillery pieces not rocket launchers. Shame on you Mr. purist Graham Nixon!

[@Jeroen3052]

+shwndhh rocketlaunchers are artillery assets. Even a trebuchet is a art. weapon.

[@mtksbctk]

wow no mention of indonesia, the whole of netherlands is made up of indonesia's money

[@ervie60]

+mtksbctk Before one reiterates common misconceptions please do some facual checking, most of money made was in the Baltic trade. The VOC made most of it's money doing business in Asian trade. It is similar to saying Hitler built the Autobahn; well the Weimar Republic planned the system and built the first one before Hitler's rise to power.

[@mtksbctk]

+ervie60 I dont know how much money one can make selling rotten herring in the baltic, but produce from indonesia (nutmeg, cloves, etc) made a lot of dutch ppl rich

[@ervie60]

All true. However my point was the (almost always overlooked) contribution made to the Dutch economy by the European trade and specifically trading within the Blatic region. No it wasn't herring; cereals, steel, fur, wood and many other products were traded and transported in that area. In fact that trade was so important that the Dutch republic choose sides between Denmark or Sweden dependign whatever side got too powerfull (tariffs/duties had to be paid at the Sont to both sides). Now you ca nmake money by trading in severla ways. One extreme was the East Indies trade; High margins offset by: 1)huge risks ( 30-35% or so of ships were lost) 2) One ship took over a year to return back with those high margin goods. Other way of making a return on your capitol: low margins offset by: 1) low risk 2) quick turn around of the ships (many trips in a year). In short; MOST of the money made by Dutch shippng/trading was done within Europe and more specific in the Baltic area. Hope this was of help understanding; I had no idea myself until watching a history docu on tv about the Dutch golden age.

[@shamirpatel3569]

mtksbctk that's what I was gonna say.

[@Snaakie83]

However our stay in what nowadays is Indonesia, has been very beneficial to the Netherlands... you're forgetting that our trade was between Europe, the America's (Surinam, New Amsterdam etc) Indonesia, Ceylon, Japan, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Madagascar etc) By the way, Indonesia had been visited by other civilizations a millennium before the Dutch arrived.