Explore Rembrandt House Museum, the house and art studio of Rembrandt de Vijn with Always Sunday founder Lexi Wareham-Dart.
The Rembrandt House Museum offers a rare glimpse into the daily life and creative process of the master painter Rembrandt Van Rijn, easily one of the most revered artists in history for his rich, textural paintings that capture immense emotional depth.
In a recent trip to Amsterdam, Always Sunday founder Lexi Wareham-Dart spent an afternoon exploring the house that has been meticulously recreated to capture the essence of what life was like in his home and studio at the time using an immense collection of his sketches and tools and the worldly possessions that inspired the man and artist despite never having left the Netherlands.
To start, tell us about your Amsterdam trip, where did you go and what were you there for?
We had a window of time between a wedding in Paris and a car tour through the Netherlands that allotted us three nights to explore another city. We’ve both visited Amsterdam but we took the opportunity to visit together for the first time. Between a wedding and a hectic car tour for Tommy’s company SuperVettura, we just wanted a few quiet days to recharge our batteries.
With this in mind we decided to stay at the SoHo House Amsterdam Hotel for its location and based on previous stays elsewhere. It was a great starting point for exploring the little streets and canals because it was essentially fifteen minutes from most things either on foot or taxi.
What were your top things to do in Amsterdam?
Amsterdam has huge amounts of historical interest and very well preserved museums and architecture. Obviously as someone who loves interiors, one of my favourite things to do is visit homes that are preserved or recreated so I can feel what it would have been like in that period of time.
We of course had the Anne Frank house on our list, but it’s something you must plan two months in advance to attend and unfortunately that wasn’t something we were able to do this time. However the Rembrandt house does not have a huge waiting list, it provides an understanding of the history of Amsterdam through the eyes of an artist and it was a surprising little gem.
What did you learn about Rembrandt?
I was obviously aware of Rembrandt’s work and had seen it throughout museums previously in my visit to Amsterdam about twenty years ago but this time it was much more insightful because I was able to understand more about the interests, relationships, and character of the artist so it gave more meaning to the work for me.
I was interested in how he created an art school in the loft of the house where he trained students who worked for him and this in turn paid for him to be able to teach. Through this he became one of the first artists to generate income from an in-house school. As someone who started a company founded in sharing creativity, this really resonated with me.
One thing that actually surprised me was the fact that he never travelled anywhere despite residing in the largest shipping port at the time. He interacted with the merchants whose trading routes brought unusual objects of interest into his path and he then pretty much squandered his fortune on shells, coral and rarities that he hoarded and stored in his studio for artistic inspiration. It feels much like how we collect pieces from vintage stores and antique shops, the owners’ having done the travel for us.
What inspired you about the space Rembrandt lived and worked in?
The colours of his home were so warm, rich and almost autumnal. You could see the choices he made in his home to exhibit his acquired wealth but in way that felt so clean and collected. I loved the kitchen in particular, it so perfectly unites modernity and history the way I think we would all strive for in the family kitchen but I was surprised to see that in a kitchen from over four hundred years ago. The rich colours, the fine locally made materials and the collected items carefully displayed all contribute to a feeling that’s exactly what I try to encapsulate in our home - warm, welcome and filled with generations of treasures.
Enjoyed Lexi's tour of Rembrandt's house and feeling inspired? Don't want the fun to end? Why not read the next article in this issue and go on a tour of Daylily Cottage in Bath..
