All I Can Afford

Having a piece of famous art in your possession is highly valued in today's society, just as it was back then. However, since I am a college student, cheap reproductions will have to satisfy my need for high class. If I had a chance to go to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and had the chance to buy three postcards with my favorite pieces from the museum, I would choose: "The Corpses of the De Witt Brothers", "Morning Ride Along the Beach", and "Still Life with Peacocks".

My first option, "The Corpses of the De Witt Brothers" was painted by Jan de Baen. The actual canvas oil painting is 69.5 cm by 56 cm. Here we see the De Witt Brothers, Johan and Cornelis, after they have been lynched. There is also another onlooker down in the bottom right corner holding a torch to provide the light source for the painting. Johan and Cornelis were key political figures in Holland during the mid 17th century. After being accused of treason, both brothers were killed by an angry mob. The reason why I find this piece interesting is due to the fact that their bodies appear to be on a stage. The brick wall and the positioning of the man in the corner makes the corpses look elevated above ground level. The stage effect really puts an emphasis on the death of these two politicians. That's why this piece would go great with the rest of my souvenirs. The painting exemplifies the significance of these men's deaths that furthered the political events of the Dutch Golden Age.

My second souvenir would be "Morning Ride Along the Beach" by Anton Mauve. This 43.7 cm by 68.6 cm oil painting is a simple scene of men in suits riding their horses by the beach. These men are most likely members of the upper class or possibly the middle class that started emerging during the 19th century when this painting was created. I would like to take this on a postcard due to the textures of the ground. I love the beach (despite living in Arizona) and just looking at the sand beneath the hooves of the stallions makes me remember how sand really does feel on the bottom of my bare feet. The shadows and brush strokes work well together to create a realistic depiction of sand at a beach.

My final treasure to bring home would be "Still Life with Peacocks" by Rembrandt Hermensz. Another oil painting on canvas, this masterpiece is 145 cm by 135.5 cm. This bizarre image shows two dead peacocks with what appears to be a little girl staring at the birds in the background through a window. With the fruit basket in the background, it would appear that the birds were killed in order to be prepared to be eaten; especially since one of the peacocks is hung upside down, which is a technique to let all of the blood spill out of the body. I would take this home purely for the bizarre feeling of the little girl in the background. At first glance, I thought she was just looking at the birds out of curiosity. However, I can almost see a faint smile on the girl's face making this scene a little more eerie. Now, she appears to be amazed or happy that the birds are dead. It's a strange piece by Rembrandt, so I would definitely take this one home with me.