Spark of the New, Charm of the Old
March 2008
With an international array of 220-plus dealers from 15 countries exhibiting their finest wares at The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht, you might not think to extend your trip to Amsterdam. Think again: The Dutch capital not only connects Maastricht to the world via its Schiphol airport, but also showcases today’s cutting-edge design and architecture mixed with buildings from the Middle Ages.Transportation is key to understanding and truly appreciating Amsterdam. The Dutch built and operate Terminal 4 at New York’s JFK airport, and were even smarter to put the train terminal at their own Schiphol right under the main concourse so that you don’t have to step out of the airport to catch a train right into Amsterdam. During their golden age of expansion in the 17th century, they constructed concentric rings of canals, creating a sort of highly ordered Venice that also enabled commerce to be conducted everywhere. And the Dutch are the most elegant bicyclists in the world: Stop a moment to watch them pedal effortlessly around their beautiful city and you’ll be treated to a real-life Eadweard Muybridge motion study. This ease of movement has been a boon to trade in Amsterdam, now and in its early days as the home of the first global conglomerate, the Dutch East India Company, which virtually ruled the world in the 17th century.
The prosperity that the company brought to Amsterdam fueled the city’s demand for the finer things in life. The wealthy populace fostered the careers of many artists later known as Dutch Old Masters. Always a center of creativity, centuries later in 1917, De Stijl (Dutch for "the style") came next, and was a focal point of artistic innovation in the Netherlands. The work of Piet Mondrian and Gerrit Rietveld sprang from this art movement, marked by its primary colors and horizontals and verticals. In the late 1940s, a group of experimental painters fomented the CoBrA art movement (the name derived from Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam, the artists’ home cities). Their vitality influenced modern art. Check out Nico Koster-Galerie Moderne for art by some of CoBrA’s artists—Asper Jorn, Karel Appel, Corneille, Constant, Eugene Brands and Jacques Doucet.
Nowadays, although mention of Amsterdam may conjure up its famous red-light district, the city continues as a hotbed of creativity. The team at droog, an innovative design company that works with talents such as Marcel Wanders and Hella Jongerius, among others, has been a torchbearer of fun, quirky design since its founding in 1993. Their flagship shop, droog at home, just down Staalstraat from the drawbridge famously painted by van Gogh, features many of the iconic products from this cutting-edge group, as well as interesting temporary installations. Among the constantly revolving display of objects, you’ll find the Knotted Chair, Wanders’ now- classic seat made of aramide braid and carbon centers dipped in epoxy resin, and Tejo Remy’s Chest of Drawers, a pile of mismatched dresser drawers tied together.
The other mecca of contemporary design is Frozen Fountain, Dick Dankers’ and Cok de Rooy’s sprawling bazaar of cutting-edge furniture, lighting and accessories. This shop does carry many international brands, but it is best known for promoting the work of Dutch designers. This is the place for some of Tord Boontje’s clever laser-cut designs on porcelain for dinnerware, Kevlar for curtains or pliable metal for his classic bare-bulb wrap. If you’re looking for something more traditional, there are hand-painted ceramics and tiles by Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum, the oldest ceramic makers in Europe (established in 1594). KTM has also commissioned contemporary works by Jongerius and Studio Job.
The antiques trail centers in the Spiegelkwartier, a lovely canal-laced neighborhood of more than 70 shops offering a range of items from ancient artifacts to Old Masters paintings to antique furniture and decorative arts. To bring home a bit of the local style, stop by the charming shop of A.A. Knoop. Proprietor Mick Knoop, a talented designer, lives upstairs in the 17th-century building he purchased two years ago. The eclectic mix of inventory ranges from a pair of Doric pine columns to a lavender-colored velvet-upholstered Swedish settee to antique textiles adapted as pillow coverings.For more serious collecting, head over the Kaisergracht canal and visit Van Nie Antiquaires. You’ll be warmly greeted by Frans Van Nie’s lovable lab as you enter this two-level shop specializing in Dutch furniture, ceramics and works of art. Most impressive are the Delft garnitures, fabulous sets of covered urns and vases for mantel or shelf. This blue-and-white group of ceramics is comprised of three baluster vases and two beaker vases featuring floral painting and lids surmounted by Foo dogs. The vast array of European antiques at Prinsheerlijk Antiques is housed in an 1,800-square-foot shop that could outfit an entire house in Continental style. Antique clocks and barometers are the specialty of the house at Van Dreven. Next door, Kunstzalen A. Vecht, a past exhibitor at TEFAF, deals in 19th- and early 20th-century paintings, European sculpture, furniture and ceramics. Discover more fine decorative arts with a listing of 100 specialist dealers through their Web site: www.spiegelkwartier.nl.
To rest after a day of shopping, try The Dylan, located amid the canal houses on Keizersgracht. Originally designed as the luxurious Blakes Hotel by British interior design Anouska Hempel, it has lost none of its trademark lush minimalism. Experience Dutch design in the hotel’s seductive bar/lounge area designed by FG Stijl. You can also choose hotel options from small one-star pods to five-star suites at the Lloyd Hotel in the trendy Eastern Docklands.
An Amsterdam must-see is the Rijksmuseum; no matter how many times you may have visited, it is always a treat. Keep in mind that renovation is continuing until mid-year, so the limited gallery space is generally packed; however, the exhibition of masterpieces is a glorious spectacle of brilliant art. The "Cliff’s Notes" version of the Rijksmuseum at Schiphol, an elegant glass-walled space above the famously well-organized airport, is a great stop for one last hit of art before your flight home.
A.A. Knoop
011.31.65.240.5190
droog at home
011.31.20.523.5059 droogdesign.nl
Frozen Fountain
011.31.20.622.9375 frozenfountain.nl
Kunstzalen A. Vecht
011.31.20.623.4748 artonline.nl/vecht
Lloyd Hotel
011.31.20.561.3636 lloydhotel.com
Prinsheerlijk Antiques
011.31.20.638.6623 prinsheerlijkantiques.com
Rijksmuseum
011.31.20.674.7000 rijksmuseum.nl
The Dylan
011.31.20.530.2010 dylanamsterdam.com
Van Dreven Antiquair
011.31.20.428.8442 artonline.nl/dreven
Van Nie Antiquairs
011.31.20.626.1594 vannieantiquairs.com