Amsterdam - Amsterdam Bruges and Brussels - page 49

Jan Luijkenstraat, on the south side of the Rijks—the part of the
huge building nearest the Van Gogh Museum.
J See Rijksmuseum Tour, page 113.
sss Van Gogh Museum —Near the Rijksmuseum, this remark-
able museum features works by the troubled Dutch artist whose
art seemed to mirror his life. Vincent, who killed himself in 1890
at age 37, is best known for sunny, Impressionist canvases that
vibrate and pulse with life. The museum's 200 paintings, a stroll
through the artist's work and life, were owned by Theo, Vincent's
younger, art-dealer brother. Highlights include Sunflowers, The
Bedroom, he Potato Eaters, and many brooding self-portraits. The
third floor shows works that influenced Vincent, from Monet and
Pissarro to Gauguin, Cézanne, and Toulouse-Lautrec. The worth-
while audioguide includes insightful commentaries and quotes
from Vincent himself. Temporary exhibitions fill the new wing,
down the escalator from the ground floor lobby. From February to
June of 2009, a special exhibit called “Van Gogh and the Colors
of the Night” will bring more Van Gogh paintings than ever to
the museum—and bump the admission price up to €15 (regularly
€12.50, audioguide-€4, daily 10:00-18:00, Fri until 22:00—with
no crowds in evening, Paulus Potterstraat 7, tel. [phone],
www.vangoghmuseum.nl).
J See Van Gogh Museum Tour, page 132.
s Museumplein —Bordered by the Rijks and Van Gogh muse-
ums and the Concertgebouw (classical music hall), this park-like
square is interesting even to art-haters. Amsterdam's best acoustics
are found underneath the Rijksmuseum, where street musicians
perform everything from chamber music to Mongolian throat
singing. Mimes, human statues, and crafts booths dot the square.
Skateboarders careen across a concrete tube, while locals enjoy a
park bench or a coffee at the Cobra Café.
Nearby is Coster Diamonds, a handy place to see a
diamond-cutting and polishing demo
(free and interesting 30-min tours on
request followed by sales pitch, pop-
ular for decades with tour groups,
prices marked up to include tour
guide kickbacks, daily 9:00-17:00,
Paulus Potterstraat 2, tel. 020/305-
5555, w w w.costerdiamonds.com).
The tour at Gassan Diamonds is
better (see “Southeast Amsterdam,”
later in this chapter), but Coster is
convenient to the Museumplein scene.
House of Bols: Cocktail & Genever experience —his lead-
ing Dutch distillery has opened a pricey and slick little museum