Rijksmuseum buys 17th century painting

Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum has acquired what director Wim Pijbes describes as “one of the most beautiful” cityscapes by the 17th century painter Gerrit Berckheyde for €1.5m, reports the NRC.

The painting, dated 1671, depicts the so-called Golden Bend, the most prestigious section of the Herengracht canal in Amsterdam.
Bought from a private collector last week, the painting can initially be seen at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague later this month, says the paper.
It will be given a permanent place in the Rijksmuseum after the museum’s renovations are completed.
According to the NRC, the acquisition was possible as a result of a donation from multinational energy company Royal Dutch Shell.