01 AMSTERDAM 2 | Mural "Herman Brood and Rembrandt van Rijn" by Karski & Beyond 2017
This gallery is the second of four showing photographs of Amsterdam made on a three day visit in 2018. Eclectic imagery includes buildings, architectural details, canals, boats, barges, paintings, sculpture, reflections, bicycles and shop window displays. This is part of a wall painting backing waste land at Nieuwe Doelenstraat used for parking cars. (continued)
02 AMSTERDAM 2 | "Herman Brood and Rembrandt"
Karski (1974) and Beyond (1983) are Dutch artists who have worked together since 2012 concentrating on works ranging from abstraction to naturalism. Herman Brood was a Dutch musician and painter born in 1946 who died in 2001 This paired portraits completes the composition part-framed in the previous image and too panoramic for legibility on this small scale. Do visit their website to see an all-embracing creativity in composition, colour and technique on monumentally scaled paintings. 
03 AMSTERDAM 2 | Architectural mosaic on a former bank building on the Keizergracht
The Eerste Hollandesche Levensverzerkerings Bank building dates from 1905 built to designs by G.A van Arkel 1858-1919 and H.H. Banders 1849-1905. On the corner of Keizergracht and Leliegracht it’s twice the height of flanking domestic buildings. The asymmetric art nouveau style includes two small mosaic panels by the French company Briare established in 1837 and still offering a full design, make and install service. 
04 AMSTERDAM 2 | Woodwork on the stern of the "Amsterdam" replica at the Maritime Museum
The original Amsterdam was built by the Dutch East India Company for trade with lands around the Indian Ocean. On its maiden voyage in 1749 a storm removed the rudder and to save its people and salvage cargo she was run ashore at Hastings in south-east England. This replica was begun in 1985 with excavations on the wreck contributing information to its construction. There is much to see on board to suggest what it might have been like when about to sail on that pristine first voyage. Visit if you are interested in ships and life in the past.
05 AMSTERDAM 2 | One of several sculptures on the façade of a building on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal
This is one of several stylised sculptures placed on the ground floor façade of a long building extension constructed in 1926. It’s a good example of the Amsterdam School of architecture style of that time. A wider architectural view is included in the third gallery of this AMSTERDAM set.
06 AMSTERDAM 2 | Bacchus on the House with the Heads
The House of the Heads on the Keizergracht dates from 1622. It was designed by the architect Hendrick de Keyser for a wealthy client interested in the arts. An image of the part of the façade not obscured by trees is posted as Image 09 in the third AMSTERDAM gallery. Built in red brick with stone detailing a striking decorative feature is the line of six sculptured heads depicting gods from the classical world. 
07 AMSTERDAM 2 | Apollo on the House with the Heads
The building is home to the Embassy of the Free Mind and houses a library of early printed books and a museum. Exhibitions, musical performances, lectures and other events are presented and much is open to the public.
08 AMSTERDAM 2 | Figures in a department store window on the Rokin
There were other idiosyncratic displays in the windows of this Rokin store but this was the only one where I was able to almost eliminate reflections.
09 AMSTERDAM 2 | Barge moored with others at the Oosterdok by the Maritime Museum
There’s lots of boating activity around the Maritime and Nemo Science Museums. A collection of sailing barges was moored bow first to the quayside below the latter. This freshly painted and decorated one appealed.
10 AMSTERDAM 2 | Barge stern and rudder detail
A detail from the steel barge stern and part timber rudder framed for colour contrast and structural details. The ladder rungs intrigued. The triangular piece bottom right seems part of a pivoting extension to be lowered to increase rudder area and effectiveness.
11 AMSTERDAM 2 | Winch detail and anchor
A third image shows a much more workaday vessel moored along the line. Rust and the lack of grease on the winch might suggest that it’s some time since the barge was in action. Some of its companions seemed in use as houseboats. Similar craft can be seen moored within the city centre canal system.
12 AMSTERDAM 2 | A shop produce delivery bike
It’s only a bike I suppose but one that’s a long way from one with a basket on the handlebars or the one featured in the seventies and eighties UK TV comedy series "Open All Hours". It’s a creative rethink of a traditional design, one that’s more efficient and safer for the rider although steering might initially be interesting. Variations are offered for sale as cargo bikes: one electrically assisted model is priced at almost £5,000. I made flying model aircraft as a schoolboy and to carry them constructed a long box trailer towed by bike - but not in such style! 
13 AMSTERDAM 2 | A cheese shop upper window display
14 AMSTERDAM 2 | A shop window detail of cheeses and baked goods
This is a detail from the window of the excellent shop at 330 Spuistraat shown as Image 17 in the third AMSTERDAM gallery. In 2018 the range and quality of its produce was impressive and lunch in its café is definitely to be recommended. Their design and display style also appealed.
15 AMSTERDAM 2 | Brickwork and sculptural panel on Rokin building façade
This is a detail from the Rokin building shown as the last image in the third AMSTERDAM gallery. I liked the pattern created by the brickwork and the rough-hewn quality of this and another sculptured panel. 
16 AMSTERDAM 2 | Building site with crane and scaffolding
For me, a black and white image worked more effectively than colour which was restricted largely to the yellow of the tower crane framework. It also emphasises the verticality of that structure, its shadow, the scaffolding and their division by the horizontal band on the building.
17 AMSTERDAM 2 | A flag array on the waterfront by the Nemo Science Museum
Another interpretation of this spread of Nemo Science Museum flags appears as image 06 in the first AMSTERDAM gallery.
18 AMSTERDAM 2 | A Science Museum view from the waterfront below the Prins Hendrikkade
A beautifully prepared barge fronts the ship hull form of the NEMO Science Museum beyond the piers.
