Hidden Beauty: Amsterdam Revealed in New Photography Book

Marie-Jeanne van Hövell tot Westerflier, Carpet Reflection in Museum Willet Holthuysen. Hidden beauty in Amsterdam. Image courtesy of Eduard Planting Gallery

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY KAZAD

Stunning Photographs in a new photography book expose the hidden beauty of Amsterdam and why it is a major tourist destination

AMSTERDAM– Amsterdam is a beautiful city with many tourist attractions. For tourists who love art, museums are particularly alluring.  At the top of the list of museums is Rijksmuseum, one of the world’s great museums. The museum which has gone through extensive renovation through the years houses masterworks by Rembrandt, Vermeer, van Dyck, Jan Steen, and other important Dutch painters. Rijksmuseum also has a vast collection of prints, drawings, and classic photographs that reveal Dutch civilization and culture centuries. In addition to Rijksmuseum, there is the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, and over fifty other museums with important collections that have continued to attract millions of tourists to Amsterdam every year.

The Search for Hidden Beauty

In addition to museums, canals are also major tourist destinations in this romantic and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Amsterdam Canal Ring, for instance, is a sight to behold. Walking through the city’s old center formed from canal rings gives a sense of freedom and tranquility. Alongside boat cruises, tourists and guests can also rent boats and even bicycles to navigate this city filled with breathtaking architecture.

In her new photography book, Marie-Jeanne reveals some of the hidden beauty that has for years captivated tourists and visitors to the gorgeous city of Amsterdam. Titled Verborgen Schoonheid de huizen Van Brienen, Van Loon en Willet-Holthuysen (Hidden Beauty Of the Houses Brienen, Van Loon, and Willet- Holthuysen), the well-illustrated book contains amazing black and white photographs by Marie-Jeanne van Hövell tot Westerflier.

The idea for the photography book developed from Marie-Jeanne’s unflinching curiosity and the desire to find beautiful places and spaces to capture. Armed with her analog Hasselblad camera for many days, Marie-Jeanne wandered around three Amsterdam canal houses,  searching for all the attractive places and spaces to photograph. She found a lot, and they all combine to make her new photography book rich and beautiful.

Verborgen Schoonheid de huizen Van Brienen, Van Loon en Willet-Holthuysen is a book that brings to the fore details that are often missing from photographs of this nature. Each photograph brings to light the spirit and hidden characteristics of the old historic buildings. The secret was the light: Marie-Jeanne brilliantly explores light in a way that brings glory to hidden objects. Images like Carpet Reflection in Museum Willet-Holthuysen, Main Reception Room at Huis van Brienen, and Special Edition: Stairs and Shadow in Huis van Loon expose the history of the rustic architecture.

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Verborgen Schoonheid de huizen Van Brienen, Van Loon en Willet-Holthuysen contains almost 70 full-page images. Included with the images are well-written essays inspired by Marie-Jeanne photographs. Five well known Dutch authors: Reinier Baarsen, Bernard Hulsman, Nicolaas Matsier, Ileen Montijn, and Alex Verburg detail the history of Amsterdam and the genius that went into the creation of the photographs. Although only published in Dutch, the images can be appreciated by all.

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