Jan Steen's painting at the expositionToday I went to Shanghai's historical museum at People's Square to visit the exhibition on Rembrandt and the Golden Age in the Netherlands. (Go here for a dedicated website.) Sponsored by the last remaning larger Dutch companies ING and Philips they wanted to bring to China this 17th century feeling of the Dutch, when we were a world power. And, as we learned the hard way, world powers can lose it.
My Chinese friends had warned me for a deception, since there were only two real Rembrandt's there. They were wrong, I was pleasantly impressed. Many of the other art pieces very telling and were organized in a very good way to give in a few hours a good overview of this important period for the Netherlands. We did not get swamped with details, but got a good broad overview. It is well worth a visit (although it closes at February 13).
It also was an opportunity to revisit some halls of the Shanghai museum I was very enthusiastic about when it opened halfway the 1990's. Then it was an eye opener, to see that Shanghai was able to open a world class museum. The promise we got then, that the museum would become an exciting display of regular changing items and shows might be valid for the Rembrandt part, but most of the Chinese expositions had not moved an inch in ten years time, as far as I could see. That was a bit disappointing.
Fortunately, the day ended in the Shanghai Lake Garden Restaurant, opposite Parkson at Huaihai Road and that was an amazing surprise. I did not find any English reviews of the place, so I expect it has not yet been discovered by the expat crowd, but it was a very tasty and well organized three-floor hot spot that is well worth your attention.
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