Memorable moments in museums
Two favourites
Happiness can be meeting "the Girl with a pearl earring" by Jan Vermeer, in
Mauritshuis in Haag, Holland! A portrait, very old, but still alive and Margareta's favourite since she met her long ago in 1964.There are no photos or printings good enough to give you that feeling of standing in front of a living person. Mona-Lisa may be famous, but this painting almost knocked me (M)!
Walking through numerous rooms on feet in shoes seeming to shrink, looking at huge and famous paintings of battles and still-life (natures mortes) and your brain meekly asks: "why?", and then, suddenly, find the paintings by Vermeer in a small almost hidden room, his fantastic view of Delft and the girl with the shimmering pearl earring. Aha, so that is what the books try to explain to you! No book in the whole world can ever give you the same feeling, so if you visit Haag (Hague), go to the
Mauritshuis and see the Old Masters Jan Vermeer van Delft and Frans Hals. Two Masters well worth the entrance fee!
Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem. Lovely! The museum's home page is very nice and lots of thumbnail pictures to enlarge. What a collection! In the well known group paintings by Frans Hals every face is a portrait. You will remember your visits in these museums for many years!
The Frans Hals Museum has a superb collection of old Dolls Houses too! Tiny miniatures of the grown-up world from different centuries. Has there ever been a child allowed to play with these art treasures? Made by a skilful carpenter as a miniature copy of the customer's house.
Room in a Doll's house, every room width: 60 cm
