The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is an architectural masterpiece. Built on over 13,000 wooden piles after the old one burned down in a fire, it was first used as a town hall, then the residence of Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother, and, later, a museum.
Built right around the peak of the Dutch empire in the mid-17th century, it was first used in practical ways. Amsterdam’s four mayors made decisions at big round tables. The treasury had several rooms. There was even a space for administrators to look after the inheritances and financial assets of orphaned children. You can still see many of the features of these functions in the rooms accessible to the public today.
At the time, the Netherlands had good relations with Japan and hosted many ambassadors and important visitors from the Far East in the town hall. As such, it also displays countless Japanese gifts, like samurai swords, painted shoji panels, and wooden prints.
When Louis moved in, he wanted to make the place more livable and grand, so he redesigned and added many elements. Now, the central hall alone is enough to take your breath away. Sky high ceilings, marble floors with contemporary maps of the world and stars embedded in them, and six meter tall statues of Atlas holding the world on his shoulders above one entrance and Lady Justice on the other.
The corridors branching off from the main hallway continue in similar style, with each corner and archway showcasing more statues of Roman gods and goddesses. Of course, this French Empire style itself was based on manifold influences from the past, with Napoleon hoping the old values from past civilizations would seep into whoever beheld the art and objects designed in it. Besides ancient Rome, historic Greece also made appearances. So did Egyptian elements, like palm leaves, and a French variant of minimalism dubbed “Directoire.”
When you visit the palace today, you’re not walking through one building. You’re strolling inside the sum total of generations. Countless nations, cultures, and individuals have contributed to the final result, be it actively or merely by serving as inspiration.
You can feel this multitude of perspectives as you make your way from room to room. You can sense that, taken together, all the different ideas and efforts combine into something unique. Something that never came like it before and that can never be replicated in exactly the same way.
Every artist has their influences. Every group project draws on the work of others. Art is always a blend of centuries, even millennia. Appreciate it wherever you meet it.
