1800-1900

This book encompasses the highlights of the Rijksmuseum’s collection of Art and History of the Nineteenth Century. From Jan Willem Pieneman’s huge painting of The Battle of Waterloo to Vincent van Gogh’s self-portrait, from Louis Napoleon’s piano to stunning Art Nouveau vases, and from the famous paintings of the Hague School, Breitner, Whistler, and Monet to the impressive examples of applied arts shown at World Expositions. Each of the one hundred works included in this publication is extensively documented, with its conception, history, and function described in detail.

The introduction tells the story of the century’s history: the Napoleonic Wars, Belgian Independence, the colonial politics in the Dutch East Indies, and the Industrial Revolution formed the backdrop against which the objects shown in this book were made. Developments in the art world and the lives of the artists are also followed. The art scene in the Low Lands flourished in the late nineteenth century, a period now sometimes called the Second Golden Age. Painters such as Alma Tadema, Jongkind, Mauve, Mesdag, Toorop, the brothers Maris, and father and son Israels, as well as architect Pierre Cuypers and designer Theo Colenbrander are representative of the time.

This selection from the most complete and international collection of nineteenth-century objects in the Netherlands presents everyone who loves art and history with a view of the best that nineteenth-century culture has to offer.