AMSTERDAM.- The Hermitage Amsterdam reopened its doors to the public in a corona-safe way on Monday 1 June. Three large exhibitions are on display: Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court (extended until autumn 2020), Portrait Gallery of the 17th Century and WOEST – Willem van Genk.

Extensive corona measures have been implemented throughout the entire building of the Hermitage Amsterdam so that visitors can enjoy a safe, peaceful, 1-on-1 experience with the artworks. By means of a one way viewing route, marked viewing areas and ‘passing bays’, they can maintain an optimal 1.5 m distance from one another. To ensure as little contact as possible with staff and to regulate visits effectively, tickets are available exclusively online and with time slots. The audio tour is available via a special app and there are numerous pillars with disinfectant dispensers.

Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court
An agreement has been made with the Hermitage in St Petersburg to extend the exhibition Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court, until autumn 2020. Jewels! presents one of the largest treasuries of the St. Petersburg Hermitage; a fabulous collection of hundreds of jewels, with tens of thousands of gems, worn by the Imperial family, the Romanovs, and Russian high society. The public have responded positively to the exhibition; personal stories and anecdotes come to life in a spectacular dream world. In the audio tour (now available via the app), jewellery historian Martijn Akkerman takes the visitor past countless, lavish, precious items.

Portrait Gallery of the 17th Century
From Monday 1 June, the exhibition Portrait Gallery of the 17th Century is also on view again at the Hermitage. Both in the impressive great gallery with thirty gigantic group portraits from the collections of the Amsterdam Museum and the Rijksmuseum – the ‘brothers and sisters of the Nightwatch’, as well as in the galleries with smaller paintings, all necessary measures have been taken to allow visitors to experience the exhibition safely.

Outsider Art Museum: WOEST – Willem van Genk
The Outsider Art Museum is also open again from 1 June. The exhibition WOEST – Willem van Genk has been extended. Naturally the Outsider Art Museum is also following the protocol for a safe and responsible reopening, as outlined by the Dutch Museum Association. Via a one way viewing route, visitors can keep a safe distance from one another as they walk through the overwhelming world of the fascinating artist, Willem van Genk. The audio tour – by curator Ans van Berkum and writer Hugo Borst – can be listened to via an app on your smartphone.

Coming: Tsars & Knights. The Romanovs' love affair with the Middle Ages
The next new exhibition in the Hermitage Amsterdam will be The Romanovs' love affair with the Middle Ages. It will open to the public in autumn 2020. A romantic story of tsars and knights, with masterpieces from the Western European Medieval Art Collection and the Arsenal of the St Petersburg Hermitage. Numerous highlights from these world famous collections are coming to the Netherlands for the first time. They tell tales of knights and damsels, courtly love and tournaments, and their revival at the Russian court. On view until spring 2021.