Ann Frank Museum

We went to the Ann Frank Museum the day before. 

"It is one of the 20th century's most compelling stories: a young Jewish girl forced into hiding with her family and their friends to escape deportation by the Nazis." Viator.com

    Image from the Ann Frank Museum Facebook Page.

I read a bit about Ann Frank when I was a lot younger. I never finished it though as I found it very hard to read as an 11 year old boy at the time hooked on Play Station 2. Reading about a girl from the 40s didn't grab me as much as it does now. 

My girlfriend was very interested and had apparently wanted to go for a long time, having read the diary, and finished, and found it interesting! I quickly felt the same way.

The museum had remade the house to as close as possible to what the conditions would have been like for when Ann Frank and her family were living their. I thought the museum was greatly moving and respectful the Ann Frank and her family and a brilliant way to tell her story. 

Vincent Van Gogh

artrenewal.org

I visited the Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam during my stay. As much I liked the layout of the museum, the lighting, and the chronological order of the painting and description of the social surroundings of art, Van Gogh's life, and location. I thought that he was trying to hard to show the working class. 

A lot of Van Gogh's work is brightly coloured and abstract. However when he did his series of "Potato Eaters" thought to be finished in 1885. He showed the working class in dull, brown colours, unflattering faces and solemn expressions. Compared to self portraits of himself, which showed him in bright energetic colours, thoughtfully gazing at the viewers.

'Peasant Woman'
dailynom.com

 According to the museum, he considered himself an artist of the working class. Capturing and documenting 

their work and life style. I don't think that's a title someone can give themselves.

He also was famous for his painting of shoes. Most people had the impression that these shoes were shoes he had seen in the "Potato Eaters" houses or around farms. Upon further inspection they are shoes he purchased from a flea market, walked around through mud in them, then painted. 

Van Gogh, if he was alive today. Would probably be one of those middle class / upper middle classed kids who buys tatty cloths from Brick Lane or wear jogging bottoms with snap backs to try and play it off as cool. 

Other than that it's amazing and a must see. 

Self Portrait
evangogh.org