
INTRODUCTION

The House of Vermeer
The interiors that Vermeer painted have a serene and clean appearance. As if nothing was happening and the video image was paused for a moment. The portrayed individuals exude tranquility. A stark contrast with Vermeer's own household. When he passed away, Johannes Vermeer still had ten young children sleeping everywhere in the house on beds and mattresses. The chaos and constant bustle that must have existed in his own household are not reflected in his paintings.
In this work, the domestic hustle and bustle can be seen, as well as the characters that made Vermeer world-famous. The Milkmaid, the Geographer, the Music Lesson, the Girl with a Pearl Earring: they all come together in Vermeer's house.

The Anatomical Theater
An anatomical lesson in the Golden Age was an event. A spectacle for which tickets were sold and which attracted a broad audience: from medical students for whom it was a mandatory lesson, to the city's notables, to drunken rabble looking for an outing.
The main role was reserved for the condemned and executed criminal, whose dissected body lay in the center of the theater.
Rembrandt's 'The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp' is a fascination for the artist because the painting tells a story that cannot be seen as well.
What is happening outside the frame of this famous work?
The costumes, the locations, the props, the furniture: everything is exactly as it was in the Golden Age. A captivating lesson in anatomy, history, and art history all at once.

The Women of Rembrandt
In the seventeenth century, a woman's position was primarily determined by the church and her husband. It was a challenging time for women who often found themselves in vulnerable positions. However, there were also strong merchant women who led independent lives.
Strong or vulnerable: men subjected women to various experiences during that time, and this is reflected in Rembrandt's paintings.
In this work, the women from Rembrandt's private life, the women of his era, and the women he depicted come together in an apotheosis of symbolism, light, and shadow.
The characters, the costumes, the animals, the buildings, and even the food: they all hold meaning in this work and are interconnected on a profound level.

Beware of Luxury
A Jan Steen household is a messy and chaotic household, with lots of fun. There is laughing, drinking, dancing and no one watches the children. “Soo the old songs, suck the boy”: as the old sang, the young beep. This saying on the wall of this household means that the young adopt the wrong behavior of the elderly. So whatever happens in this household.
As a sort of moral knight, Jan Steen used symbolism and double meanings in his paintings to warn society: don't act like the people in my paintings! Beware of a wasteful and luxurious life.
Thats what Beware of Luxury; tells us.

The Delft Thunderclap
In 1654 Jan Steen opened a brewery annex tavern in Delft. Shortly afterwards, the secret powder cellars of the Netherlands exploded. A disaster of unprecedented magnitude known as the Delft Thunderclap.. Houses, shops and the local economy were flat, as was the turnover of Jan Steens brewery.
There was also a need for booze, music and entertainment such as attending public cuts and other acts by quacks.
Jan Steens paintings resemble cosy, innocent scenes from everyday life. Look closely and see how a serious message is proclaimed with irony, humor and symbolism. Dancing and drinking between the gunpowder fumes of the Delft Thunderclap?

L'atelier du Sud
From left to right, this work looks like a journey through the life of van Gogh.
Famous and lesser known people can be seen traveling to places in the Netherlands, Belgium and France that were important in Van Goghs life.
France is the final destination. Van Gogh was perhaps happiest there and painted in bright colours.
The artist has chosen an intriguing perspective from within to create Vincents view outwards. Van Goghs turbulent and short life has never been seen like this.

The New Imagination
Mondrian started as a figurative painter. During his exploration of techniques and materials, he gradually moved towards abstraction. In this artwork, his fascinating transition can be seen from left to right.
Starting with the Gein mill on the far left, step by step, you can observe how Mondrian eliminated more and more elements, avoiding any association with nature. He only used the primary colors red, blue, and yellow, supplemented by the non-colors gray, white, and black. He arranged planes and lines in order and was very strict in the distribution of planes in his works.
That strict division of planes is also evident in this artwork: everything above the water is precisely mirrored in the water. Ending with the reflective iconic skyscrapers in New York, where Mondrian passed away.