 Rembrandtplein in 2010 | |
  Location in Amsterdam-Centrum | |
| Namesake | Rembrandt van Rijn |
|---|---|
| Location | Centrum, Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Nearest metro station | Waterlooplein |
| Coordinates | 52°21′58″N4°53′48″E / 52.36611°N 4.89667°E |
Rembrandtplein (English: Rembrandt Square) is a major square in central Amsterdam, Netherlands, named after Rembrandt van Rijn who owned a house nearby from 1639 to 1656.
The square has its origins in the defensive walls constructed in the Middle Ages to protect the city. The site of Rembrandtplein held a Regulierspoort or gateway into the city. By 1655, the city had expanded beyond this area and it began to attract visiting farmers who brought their butter, dairy and poultry products to sell in the city and it became known as Botermarkt or butter market. By 1668, the Regulierspoort housed a Waaggebouw or weigh house. Each autumn, the square hosted a fair and the farmers' stalls were replaced by dance orchestras and circus tents. The market continued under this name until 1876 when a statue of Rembrandt by sculptor Louis Royer was moved from the perimeter to the centre of the square and it was renamed Rembrandtplein (Rembrandt Square). [1] [2]
By the early twentieth century, the square developed into a centre for nightlife drawing artists, young people and laborers. To serve these visitors, several hotels, cafés and entertainment venues opened in the adjoining streets. The area continues to be popular with residents and tourists. [3]
The square is bordered on the east by Utrechtsestraat, Reguliersdwarsstraat on the south, Regulierbreestraat on the north and Halvemaansbrug on the west. The largest building on the square, across Utrechtsestraat, was designed in 1926 by architects Bert Johan Ouëndag and Hendrik Petrus Berlage as the head office of the Amsterdamsche Bank, later ABN AMRO. [4] ABN AMRO vacated the structure in 2002 and in 2011 it reopened as retail office building named simply The Bank with 25,000 m2 (270,000 sq ft) of space after a five-year renovation. [5]
Thorbeckeplein, named after politician Johan Rudolf Thorbecke (1798–1872), is adjacent to the south, and leads to Herengracht.
Tram lines 4, 9 and 14 operate on Regulierbreestraat and connect Rembrandtplein to the Stopera, northwest across the Blauwbrug (Blue Bridge) on the Amstel River, Dam Square to the northeast, and Amsterdam Centraal railway station.
In December 2006, the square became home to a large interactive LCD-screen. The display measures 7.6 m × 15 m (25 ft × 49 ft) and, in addition to programmed advertisements, allows passers-by to upload videos with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. [6] At the time of installation, the screen was the largest in Europe at 114 m2 (1,230 sq ft). [7]
The statue of Rembrandt was made in 1852 by sculptor Louis Royer and is of cast iron. It was cast in one piece and it is Amsterdam's oldest surviving statue in a public space. The current design of the square is the result of a €3.5 million renovation completed in December 2009. The statue is on a grey granite base bearing a replica of his signature. It occupies a space in the centre of the square facing a plaza paved with matching gray granite slabs accented by planters, trees and a small fountain. The perimeter of the square is bordered by grass and trees. [8]
As part of the celebration of the artist's 400th birthday in 2006, a bronze-cast representation of his most famous painting, The Night Watch , by Russian artists Mikhail Dronov and Alexander Taratynov was displayed around the Royer work. This bronze-cast representation [9] of the famous painting was on display for three-years before traveling to New York City, Moscow and Oranienbaum, Russia. In 2012, the bronze Night Watch sculptures returned to the redesigned square where they served as a magnet for visitors. In January 2013, the Rembrandtplein Entrepreneurs Foundation began a fundraiser to keep the sculptures in the square throughout the year. [10]
The statues were removed on February 12, 2020. Rembrandtplein business association was unable to reach an agreement with the artists (Mikhail Dronov and Alexander Taratynov) [11] regarding either the rental or purchase of the Night Watch sculptures. The sculptors wanted to sell their creation for 1.5 million euro. Later a price of 1 million euro was mentioned. Reportedly the business association paid 75.000 euro a year in rental fees. [12]
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ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is the third-largest Dutch bank, with headquarters in Amsterdam. It was initially formed in 1991 by merger of the two prior Dutch banks that form its name, Algemene Bank Nederland (ABN) and Amsterdamsche en Rotterdamsche Bank.
Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq, also known as The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch, but commonly referred to as The Night Watch, is a 1642 painting by Rembrandt van Rijn. It is in the collection of the Amsterdam Museum but is prominently displayed in the Rijksmuseum as the best-known painting in its collection. The Night Watch is one of the most famous Dutch Golden Age paintings. Rembrandt's large painting is famed for transforming a group portrait of a civic guard company into a compelling drama energized by light and shadow (tenebrism). The title is a misnomer; the painting does not depict a nocturnal scene.
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Louis Royer, also Lodewyk Royer, was a Flemish sculptor who worked in the Netherlands where he received many commissions from the royal family and for public statues.
Abdul Rahman Mowakket is a contemporary sculptor from Syria.
The AMsterdamsche en ROtterdamsche Bank was a major Dutch bank that was created in 1964 by the merger of the Amsterdamsche Bank and the Rotterdamsche Bank. In 1991, it merged with Algemene Bank Nederland (ABN) to form ABN AMRO.
Vandalism of art is intentional damage of an artwork. The object, usually exhibited in public, becomes damaged as a result of the act, and remains in place right after the act. This may distinguish it from art destruction and iconoclasm, where it may be wholly destroyed and removed, and art theft, or looting.
Coal Miner is a public artwork by Polish American artist John J. Szaton (1907–1966) which is located in two US State capitals; the original, commissioned in 1963 in Springfield, Illinois, as well as a copy on the west lawn of the Indiana State House in Indianapolis The statues commemorate coal miners who had lost their lives in those states' mining industry. The 7-foot (2.1 m) tall statue rests on a 3-foot (0.91 m) square, granite base supported by a cement foundation that is 4–6 inches (100–150 mm) thick.
The Davis Square statues, entitled Ten Figures, are life-sized cast concrete public sculpture, created by James Tyler, located in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts at or near the Davis, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway station. The statues are mostly based on people who lived near Davis Square in the 1980s. In 1996 bronze "masks" were added to the sculptures to repair damage and deter future vandalism.
Diana – also known as Diana of the Tower – is an iconic statue by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, representing the goddess Diana. Once a major artistic feature of New York City, the second version stood atop the tower of Madison Square Garden from 1893 to 1925. Since 1932, it has been in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
John McKenna is a Scottish sculptor born in Manchester. He is based in Turnberry, South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Nicholas Legeros is an American (Minnesotan) bronze sculptor. Working from his studio building Blue Ribbon Bronze in Northeast Minneapolis, Nick has created over 500 sculptures in his career. His most prominent works can be found in the Twin Cities and Hudson, Wisconsin. In addition to his work as a sculptor, Nick is an active artist advocate and has been president of the Society of Minnesota Sculptors (1988-1995), president of the Northeast Minneapolis Artists Association (2007-2009), and served on many boards including the Northeast Community Development Corporation.
The Ajax Experience was a museum dedicated to AFC Ajax' club history in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The museum, located at the Rembrandtplein, was opened on 24 September 2011 and closed within two years after a 9 million euro loss.
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