Amsterdam's Stedelijk Re-Opened

Photos by Ernst van Deursen

Last week Amsterdam's historic museum of modern and contemporary art reopened in a ceremony officiated by none other than Queen Beatrix (lest we forget that the English monarchy is not the only one standing in Europe!)

Originally opened in 1874, the Stedelijk was last renovated in 1954 and just finished eight years of construction, during which the space was only paritially accessible to the public. Dutch architect Mels Crouwel designed the new wing, expanding room for the permanent collection and special exhibitions.

The impressive collection includes works from the likes of Georges Braque, Jeff Koons, Marina Abramovic, Gilberg & George, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Ossip Zadkine among many others.

Aside from the opening and the impressive collections of works, we're also excited about Queen Beatrix's bright red dress and jauntily cocked hat. Apparently, 21st century queens wear sensible skirt-blouse combinations topped by a retro hat. It's Beatrix who manages to spruce up the color just a bit compared to her Britannic contemporary.

Another historic museum in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum, will reopen April 13 after nearly a decade of renovation. Aside from again displaying Rembrandt’s famous “The Night Watch,"  this museum will tell the history of the Netherlands from "the middle ages to the present," and will be "the first major national museum in the world to be open to the public 365 days per year."