Art and literature in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has been a cradle of artistic and literary talent, producing some of the world’s most celebrated painters. 

The Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century saw the emergence of famous artists such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer and Frans Hals. Their masterpieces, characterized by meticulous attention to detail and a play of light and shadow, continue to fascinate art lovers around the world. 

Perhaps one of the most famous and well-known Dutch painters is Vincent Van Gogh active in 1800. Today his works are visible at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. We stayed in this museum very impressive and rich in works, an experience definitely to do to learn more about the local culture.

Other very famous painters during the 20th century were Piet Mondrian and Maurits Cornelis Escher. 

As for the rich Dutch literature, we can mention the philosophers Erasmus of Rotterdam and Spinoza, active between 1500 and 1600. 

In the contemporary era there were several other actors in the Dutch literary scene such as the writer Annie M. G. Schmidt, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Prize in 1988.

Sadly, the best-known Dutch opera remains the Diary of Anne Frank. In Amsterdam, the Anne Frank House Museum traces the history of her family and the history of the war and the Nazi period as seen from Anne’s eyes.

Cuisine

Dutch cuisine is rich in traditional and international dishes. 

The main dishes consist of several vegetable soups, the hutspot prepared with carrots and mashed potatoes, served with a braised beef called, the stamppot made of mashed potatoes and vegetables accompanied by smoked sausage called rookworst.

Very typical is also the brined herring seasoned with onion served on a slice of bread called Hollandse nieuwe. 

The Dutch cheeses Gouda and Edam are very famous and exported outside the national borders. 

Dutch sweets include stroopwaffels, a large biscuit filled with caramel.  Very famous are the poffertjes, similar to small pancakes, but sweeter and thicker. Typical desserts to be consumed on New Year’s Eve are oliebollen, pancakes made of eggs and flour.

Many dishes were later incorporated into the cuisine of the Netherlands and are derived from the colonial period as traditional Indonesian and Surinamese dishes.

Music

The Dutch music scene has evolved over the years, spanning a wide range of genres and styles. Traditional Dutch folk music features vibrant melodies played on instruments such as the accordion and violin. 

In the 20th century, the Netherlands saw the emergence of influential artists in various genres, including classical, jazz and pop music. 

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, based in Amsterdam, is renowned for its exceptional performances and is considered one of the most important orchestras in the world.

The Netherlands also hosts several internationally renowned music festivals attracting music fans from all over the world.

In the field of Jazz music the Netherlands plays an important role in Europe: they are home to the most important jazz festival in Europe, the North Sea Jazz Festival

The Netherlands also has an important role in metal music. They are home to several bands that have distinguished themselves for the innovation towards a less purist metal and that have dedicated themselves instead to try the various combinations between metal and classical and symphonic music, creating various versions of Symphonic Metal and Gothic metal. The major exponents of this genre are The Gathering and Epica.

The Netherlands is the place of development of many genres of electronic music including gabber and trance and EDM.