Visit untouched pristine Dutch landscapes; reminicent of the great masters. Chauffeur-driven. On the way we can discuss photography, painting, agricultural history, art history and architectural history. Especially of interest for landscape painters and photographers.
As an art historian based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, I can meet you for a personalized photosafari tour by car, to visit beautiful pristine landscapes located to the north or south of Amsterdam. And I can guide you through the visual delicacies of the best art museums.
These images were all taken by Drs Kaldenbach on October 24-27, 2012 during a 4-day outing with three American painters.
Client satisfaction: "With Kees Kaldenbach, a leading authority on Vermeer and the Golden Age of the 17th c.
I, a painter visited Holland with two objectives...
The first, to see, feel, and learn about the great artists of that century and the Hague School
of Landscape Painting.
The second aim was to travel in the countryside for landscapes particular to my needs as an artist.
Mr. Kaldenbach thoroughly understood my goals and made it all possible in a week's time.
I had the perfect working vacation and I highly recommend Kees Kaldenbach as a most knowledgeable
and flexible guide for a fantastic " Artistic Holiday in Holland."
Cynthia Kelly-Overall, October 2012.
To the left: What makes this painting by Rembrandt of a 76-year old preacher so wonderfully expressive, and how does it elicit such an emotional experience in many viewers? We can discuss this portrait of the marvellous preacher Uytenboogaard.
We will go through the composition, brushwork and in catching up on the actual story of its creation, we learn how to read the painting in its full glory. Then we will almost see the painter at work.
To the left: Isaac van Ostade, Winter landscape in the Dutch climate period now called "the little Ice age". We discuss painterly qualities... How did the painter successfully recreate the chill of a winters day on canvas? What tricks of the trade did he employ to offset dark against light and light against dark?
And how did Rembrandt proceed stap-by-step in painting these life-like pearls and the gossamer material on the Maria Trip's neck?
A windy day north of Alkmaar. After a night with heavy rain, these majestic cumulus clouds formed over the Dutch skies. This image has NOT been photoshopped! See also image below, taken one hour earlier.
Painting by Cindy Overall.
Rain and shine on wet asphalt. The landscape appears as though it has been scrubbed clean.
A fine-art landscape painter lost in Dutch flatland landscape goodness.
View of a polder; gravel roads, ditches and in the far distance dunes, beach and a sea dike of herculean proportions. Ages upon ages of water engineering has created the lowlands of Holland. Without a system of dikes, pumps, sluises, management, all of this would soon be flooded. There is a special section of the Dutch government called Rijkswaterstaat (Organisation for the State of Water) that is in charge of this, with ample annual funding.
Cows and sheep getting ready for the next rainfall.
Tiny village, really only a hamlet, north of Amsterdam: a true picture postcard idyll. The village people began to build this tower in 1502 - but ran out of the funds to complete it. Typical green wooden facades with side walls of brick.
A lone horse feeding from a mesh bag kept high in order to keep the feed dry.
This is the type of willow tree often painted and drawn by Vincent van Gogh. I will explain about this type of willow and its many uses in agriculture. This one has been pruned hard - for good reasons as I will explain to you.
Willow trees awaiting their pruning session.
Passing pristine villages - in which each village council vied with the next village for the beauty and size of their town hall. Bigger is better. More beautiful adornment and masonry is better. This is the town hall in the now landlocked village of Graft, formerly known for its vast boat-building industry when it was still situated in the Schermereiland - an inhabited island surrounded by large fresh water lakes, east of Alkmaar...
The people of Graft (3000 inhabitants in the 17th century) were separated politically and ideologically from their neighbour twin village of De Rijp. Dutch historian Van Deursen has written a major book (Een dorp in de polder, Graft in de zeventiende eeuw) on these two villages - a detailed book made possible because many of the village documents have been retained in various archives. Thus a close-up study has been made possible of inhabitants, crafts, trade, local economy, shipbuilding and shipping, law, religion, drinking, fighting, thievery etc. Many men were employed in shipbuilding, inland fishery, and on herring ships in the North sea, or on whaling ships that went far north to the icy seas. A dangerous life. Those plying their trade at home most often worked flax and hemp workshops and turned the raw material into threads, woven material, and ropes or sailcloth. A quiet, peace-loving community that took good care of their own poor and destitute inhabitants, some 10 to 20%.
For the painters of the School of The Hague (Jacob Maris, Israels, Weissenbruch, Mesdag, Mauve) we can visit the Nieuwkoopse plassen and combine this with visits to the Museum Mesdag, Panorama Mesdag, Haags Gemeentemuseum (Municipal museum). Astounding landscapes and pristine beauty.
To the left: Photographer at work.
While passing though the landscapes of the provinces North and South Holland I will tell you about the countryside, discussing the country's history, agricultural projects, polders, and farm culture. In doing so, we may touch many bases - spanning not only landscaping and architecture but also the nation's history and current social issues.
See client testimonials.
Read a biography.
Starting at your hotel I will take you on a wonderful car tour of your choice. My guided itinerary offers you accessable informative conversation in English, Dutch, or German (my French and Italian are more limited).
All of these photographs can be bought in hi-res files.
You may also arrange this VIP treatment for business contacts or friends. Our cultural tour organisation office will ensure you of a unique and memorable experience.
Drs. Kees Kaldenbach is your private "scholar-lecturer on culture tours" *.
*Martha Gellhorn, Travels with Myself and another, p. 182.
Please contact me for time and fees of the tailor-made tour you ar interested in.
Photo by Dick Martin
Endorsements
The Rijksmuseum has done me the honor of linking the main Rijksmuseum site to my website. Start at www.rijksmuseum.nl and select Collection. Then choose 'Digital Collaboration' and the 'Digital Vermeer House'.
I conduct Rembrandt walks in Amsterdam for the Netherlands Bureau of Tourism, London and New York City offices. Their clients include important journalists.
The travel site www.luxurytraveler.com has devoted a main feature to my tours and walks.
Read further client testimonials.
Read a biography.
Drs. Kees Kaldenbach has been featured in television and radio documentaries, including BBC2 television, NTV Japan, Danish television and Radio Netherlands World Service. In July 2004 he was interviewed about Delft artists by the Nishinippon (Japan, 2012), and by Tetsuya Tsuruhara for the leading Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun. In 2004 and 2005 he acted in an advisory role to additional BBC teams. Kaldenbach has written extensively on Vermeer and 17th century Delft, as well as on the painter Vincent van Gogh and other art history topics.
Drs. Kees Kaldenbach is your private "scholar-lecturer on culture tours".
Further information is available on his encyclopedic website: www.johannesvermeer.info
Contact
information:
Drs. Kees Kaldenbach , kalden@xs4all.nl
Haarlemmermeerstraat 83 hs
1058 JS Amsterdam
The Netherlands
telephone 020 - 669 8119 (from abroad NL +20 - 669 8119)
cell phone 06 - 2868 9775 (from abroad NL +6 - 2868 9775)
Reaction, questions? Read client testimonials.
Open seven days a week.
Credit card payments possible.
Member of the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel).
E-mail responses and bookings to art historian Drs. Kees Kaldenbach.
This page forms part of the 2000+ item Vermeer web site at www.xs4all.nl/~kalden
Updated November 2013.
Complete Listing of tours