Those in the mood for a historical cultural adventure are in the right place this fall in Dordrecht. Bygone history is brought to life with no fewer than three special exhibitions. Even if you are not a real museum lover, these are definitely worth a visit. Wanderlust in the Dordrecht Museum takes you on a journey with 19th-century Dutch painters. You can discover how wealthy Dordentheans lived in the Dordrecht Patrician House, because of its 10th anniversary, the special exhibition In de Floria can be admired. Or take the whole family to Huis van Gijn for the unique Huisgeluidenroute; people lived and breathed here 100 years ago, and you can hear it!
Three surprising exhibitions
House sounds bring Huis Van Gijn to life
When the brass bell rings in the stately building on the Nieuwe Haven, Othello, Mr. Van Gijn's black dog, rings. In the kitchen you hear the pans and the string bean mill, in the study the turning of the pages, and in the dining room the tinkling of crystal and porcelain. Everywhere in the house the bells are ticking. Artist Elise 't Hart collected a hundred house noises for the House Noises Route in museum Huis Van Gijn. Until December 4, the silence of the house is broken. People lived in Huis Van Gijn. Not only by Mr. and Mrs. Van Gijn, but also the household. Moreover, the distinguished couple often had guests over. For five rooms, Elise developed compositions of sounds that must have once sounded there. The special walking guide to house sound describes all the sounds.
Noise was part of it
What daily life sounded like 100 years ago? "A lot louder than now," says Andrea Rietveld, staff member at Huis Van Gijn. "Back then there were no headphones or electric cars. Horses and wagons rattled over the cobblestones, you heard steam whistles, church bells, the cast-iron cistern, the stove and much more. Noise was part of it and it is precisely these house sounds that now make a visit to Huis Van Gijn even more complete. They are recognizable and evoke feelings. If you come into the kitchen now, see and hear the pans, you can almost smell the food. You really have the feeling of being back in time and that is very special."
Dreaming away with Wanderlust
Anyone longing for a vacation in faraway places can indulge in the Dordrecht Museum until January 8. The exhibition Wanderlust takes you to the most extraordinary places and overwhelming nature. Travel-loving Dutch artists from the period 1800 - 1900 let you dream away at the most beautiful places in and outside Europe. With more than 100 paintings and drawings, the exhibition sheds new light on this beloved period of Dutch art history. This exhibition follows the artists on their path. The exhibition is a collaboration with the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
Artists with wanderlust
The wanderlust of artists of the period had a variety of reasons. They traveled to Italy for training or to France, Germany, Norway, Scotland and North Africa for new inspiration. Trips to the then colonies of the Dutch East Indies and Suriname had scientific or economic backgrounds. In addition to works by well-known 19th-century artists, the exhibition features surprises from museum depots and private collections. The exhibition not only surprises adults. For children, there is a world map with adventurous tasks and special family tours. Wanderlust also introduces three female artists, still unknown to the general public.
10 years of Dordrecht Patrician House
The Dordrecht Patrician House takes you back to the end of the 18th century. In this special house museum, discover how wealthy Dordrechters lived at that time. Inside, the residents seem to have just left. The interior in Louis XVI style is authentic, with the round Maaskamer (the most beautiful round room in the Netherlands) overlooking the three-river point as an eye-catcher. The initiator of the museum is Laurens Gooshouwer. "It all started when we bought the house," Laurens explains enthusiastically. "We found two chimney pieces by Cornelis Kuipers. These were masterpieces with floral still lifes. We started looking for more works by Kuipers, as well as still lifes by other Dordrecht painters. That turned out to be a challenge; there are not that many on the market. Even then the plan arose to do something with these flower still lifes with often a hidden message."
Surprising In the Floria
The museum's tenth anniversary is the perfect occasion for an anniversary exhibition of floral still lifes. In the two period rooms at the front of the house, ten works can be admired from home and abroad, but all made by Dordrecht artists. But that is by no means all. Throughout the building hang photographs of flower still lifes made by Bas Meeuws. Like the old Dutch masters, he makes fantasy bouquets with a story. In the basement, a television screen shows how his works are created.
