I wanted to learn about the pieces of art on show at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, but this book gave me even more. I particularly liked how it not only presented key details and pieces to look out for, but also provided insights about the art pieces themselves, as well as some historical context that motivated certain art movements and trends. As someone who appreciates art, but can find it hard to really spot all the important details that make up the story or the inspiration behind it, this book did just that and I really enjoyed exploring these pieces of art with this added contextual knowledge and of what is actually happening, and the significance behind this. This book is especially good right now where I am unable to travel to my local museums or to the actual Rijksmuseum itself, but particularly would like to in the future which this book confirmed for me. It brought some of the museum to my home and was a very interesting reading experience, as well as a useful one, for when I can actually visit the museum sometime in the future.

Before I traveled to Holland I read the other volume in the series Amsterdam Museum Guides: Van Gogh Museum - Highlight of the Collection. Since I very much enjoyed that concise guide I also read the guide on the Rijksmuseum. I am often overwhelmed by the number of great artworks in a museum and find this type of guide very helpful in the sense that they guide me in making a selection of the works I realy want to see and want to know more about. Loved the descriptions and the high quality of the images. What an artist, and what a great museum. Recommended to all tourists who are traveling to Holland like me.

The Rijksmuseum (National Museum of the Netherlands) is aclassic architectural wonder that houses over a million art works. Themuseum (gallery), located in the cultural center of Amsterdam, boasts amagnificent collection of works from around the world and throughout the centuries, including the works of the seventeenth-century DutchMasters; Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals and many others. A cathedral-likebuilding, the ambiance of the space exudes historical and artisticreverence. The focal point of the gallery space is the Front Hall, the Gallery ofHonor, and the Rembrandt Hall where the Netherlands, from theseventeenth-century, the Dutch Golden Age, reflects a proud era of Dutch history, not just in its art, but also in the fine crafts such assilverware, furniture, earthenware and fine tapestries. The othergalleries in the Rijksmuseum trace historical eras through the centuries from medieval times to current contemporary works. There is also agallery devoted to Asian works. The special collections gallery is asurprise. It features many unique and unusual artifacts, like modelships, porcelain tea sets, engraved glass and silver, working magiclanterns and a silent disco. "You will feel like a child in a toystore." Art historian Marko Kassenaar has produced a marvellous guide to one ofthe world's great art treasures. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam: Highlights ofthe Collection (Amsterdam Museum Guides Book 1) is both useful andinformative, complete with illustrations and enticing comments aboutspecific aspects of both the museum and the collection. The book isdivided into sections, each section featuring one particular collectionwithin the museum. A wonderful guide.