Museum Van Loon Museum van Loon
In the heart of the Amsterdam canal district lies Museum Van Loon, a magnificent private residence built in 1672 by the architect Adriaen Dortsman. The first resident was the painter Ferdinand Bol, a pupil of Rembrandt. The interior of the house has remained largely intact during the last centuries and still evokes the splendour of the 17th century.
Museum Van Loon houses the collection that the Van Loon family has collected in the past five centuries. Various objects are on display in the rooms of the house, showing the visitor how a rich merchant family used to live in Amsterdam. This way of life is illustrated by the large drawing rooms filled with family portraits, furniture, silverware and porcelain objects. In the basement, the life of the former family staff is illustrated by original uniforms, kitchen objects and other daily utensils. Historic coaches, sledges and harnesses are on view in the coach house. The family archive, consisting of documents and photographs, is kept in the museum as well. In an exceptional case, the museum will acquire objects or commission new portraits of family members by contemporary artists.
