Stedelijk Museum
Stedelijk Museum
MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART
Stedelijk Museum
The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam is on Museumplein – right next to the Van Gogh Museum and just around the corner from the Rijksmuseum. You could always pop in if you’re around visiting one of the other museums. The building is worth a look just for its architecture!
My Rating:
The positives:
We rate the Stedelijk Museum between 4 and 4.5 stars. It’s a special place with a fantastic collection. The exhibits are sorted by theme. While that’s good in a way...
The negatives:
...it can also get a bit confusing.
Contemporary art isn’t for everyone, and the exhibitions tend to be a bit too niche (even for us).
Tip:
If you’re planning to visit this museum, make sure you buy an online ticket in advance and listen to the free audio guide as you go round.
Last Modified: 16.01.2025 | Céline
Stedelijk Museum
Tickets
The details
at a glance
I Amsterdam Card
Free entry to the Stedelijk Museum with the I Amsterdam Card!
Reservation of a timeslot is required
-> More information about the card
Stedelijk Museum
Photo Gallery
A BIT OF BACKGROUND...
OUR VISITS
Boris checked out the museum when we were first putting together the museos Amsterdam page (in 2021). And I have finally seen it for myself (as of 2023) and I was really impressed too.
The displays and layouts have definitely changed since 2021. And I’d say that the whole place looks a little snazzier now than it did before.
When I went to the museum late on a Saturday afternoon, the museum was packed. It was lovely to see people of all ages wandering around – from students to senior citizens. A real mix of visitors!
WHAT IS THERE
TO SEE?
As you enter the impressive modern building, you won’t know where to look first. The awesome glass front lets all the natural light in while offering up a view of other museums on the outside. But you can also still see the old brick wall belonging to the original building.
Let me just quickly tell you now that there’s a stand offering free audio guides near where you have your ticket checked. Make sure you pick one up! It really will improve your experience of looking at the works of art.
You should start off on the ground floor because that’s where you’ll find all the older art. And by older art I mean modern art by the likes of Mondrian, Chagall, Beckmann and Käthe Kollwitz.
The first room is designed in the style of a Petersburg hanging. In other words, the walls are covered with paintings and the effect is incredible. A Calder mobile is suspended from the ceiling, and the benches are filled with vases and sculptures. There’s such a lovely laid-back vibe in here!
How many artists can you spot on display here?! The likes of Mondrian, Paul Cézanne, Jackson Pollock, Oskar Kokoschka, Marc Chagall and Vincent Van Gogh are all hanging together.
Next up, you’ll come to two rooms that only feature work by female artists. I was quite taken with Käthe Kollwitz’s moving sculpture called ‘Tower of Mothers’. It depicts a group of women standing in a circle to protect their children. Some of them have their backs to us, while others are standing side-on. And then there is one facing out and looking right at us. You can spot children’s faces poking out between their mothers’ arms and dresses.
This sculpture, which can also be found in Berlin and Essen, is a response to some of the problems being faced back in the artist’s day – poverty, hunger and a ban on abortions. It went on to become a symbol of the Second World War, which broke out shortly after the artist created this piece.
Next up, you’ll walk through rooms with Beckmann and even more Mondrian on display. You’ll end up at a fabulous staircase. Head up the stairs and find a collection of works by younger contemporary artists waiting for you. Prepare to be wowed by Niki de Saint Phalle, Yves Klein, Jeff Koons, Marlene Dumas, Lucio Fontana, Sigmar Polke and so many more.
Stedelijk Museum
A BIT OF HISTORY
The museum was set up by a group of private individuals back in 1874. They donated works of art and money to give Amsterdam its very own museum dedicated solely to modern art. That artwork was stored at the Rijksmuseum until 1895.
After that point, it was moved to a separate museum building designed by A. W. Weissman. You can see his neo-renaissance style shining through the building front, facing onto Paulus Potterstraat.
For the first few decades, the collection at the Stedelijk Museum was eclectic and pretty chaotic. Everything was mixed together – contemporary Dutch and French masterpieces were displayed alongside militia banners. It wasn’t until 1920 that the focus started shifting more obviously onto modern and contemporary art, with design and photography being brought in at that point.
The huge Van Gogh collection at the museum at the time was so popular that it attracted visitors from all around the world… Until it was moved to the new Van Gogh Museum, that is.
The more modern architecture on the Museumplein side of the museum dates back to 2003–2012. Fire regulations meant that the museum had to be renovated. With the collection being spread out across a number of other buildings and the museum having to close its doors temporarily anyway, it made sense to design a new extension at the same time 😉. The architect Benthem Crouwel was hired to design an addition to the original building that cost EUR 4.5 million. The museum refers proudly to its new ‘bathtub’, which is white, smooth and shiny.
Queen Beatrix opened the new build at an official opening ceremony on 22 September 2022. The doors to the Stedelijk Museum were finally open again!
Official website Stedelijk Museum (EN): www.stedelijk.nl
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2021 – 2025
With permission of the Stedelijk Museum
