DK Travel : Amsterdam : Museum Van Loon

Museum Van Loon

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Step back into the 18th century at this delightful canal house on Keizersgracht, which has been the property of the prestigious Van Loon family (co-founders of the Dutch East India Company, later bankers and royal courtiers) since 1884. In the 1970s, the family opened it to the public, having painstakingly restored it to its appearance in the 1750s, when it was owned by Dr Abraham van Hagen and his heiress wife Catharina Trip. It is beautifully furnished with Van Loon family possessions throughout.

Top 10 Features

1. The Building

In 1672, Jeremias van Raey built two large houses on Keizersgracht. One he occupied himself, the other – No. 672, now the Museum Van Loon – he rented to Rembrandt’s most famous pupil, Ferdinand Bol.
2. The Staircase

The balustrade was installed by Dr Van Hagen, who had his and his wife’s names incorporated into the ornate brass work. When the canals ceased to freeze over regularly, the 18th-century sledge in the hall found a new use as a plant stand.
3. The Family Portraits

Portraits of the Van Loon family are displayed throughout the house.
4. The Wedding Portrait

Jan Molenaer’s first major commission in Amsterdam portrays the whole family. It’s a second marriage: the bride holds her stepson’s hand in an act of acceptance, while the fallen chair symbolizes the groom’s deceased brother.
5. The Garden

Laid out in the 1970s according to a plan of the property of 1700, the peaceful garden ends in the false Neo-Classical façade of the coach house. Look carefully and you will see that the upstairs windows are in fact painted, pretty curtains and all.
6. The Dining Service

Rare 18th-century Dutch porcelain and 19th-century Limoges ware grace the dining room.
7. The Gold Coin Collection

Over the centuries, five Van Loon couples have celebrated their golden wedding; each had gold coins specially minted.
8. The Painted Room

Painted wallpapers such as these, featuring ruins, Classical buildings and human figures, were very popular in the 1700s.
9. The Romantic Double Portrait

Painted by J F A Tischbein in 1791, this intimate, relaxed portrait of these Van Loon ancestors is typical of the Age of Enlightenment, conveying love and happiness as well as duty.
10. The Kitchen

Cosy and inviting, the basement kitchen has been recently restored to look as it did in a photograph of 1900.

Practical Information

There is no café; head for nearby Nieuwe Spiegelstraat or Utrechtsestraat for a good choice. Serene and elegant, the Museum Van Loon makes a perfect visit for adults, but is not so well suited to young children. Keizersgracht 672 020 624 5255 www.museumvanloon.nl Open 11am–5pm Fri–Mon, Tue–Thu by appointment Admission €5; concessions €4 Guided tours on request