There is no more befitting a name for a crystal four-poster bed than Heaven. Hans van Bentem’s aptly named 2012 has been enjoying a bit of the limelight on display at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague. Just like Bentem’s many uniquely designed crystal chandeliers, the bed gives off light, too.
A larger than life trompe l’oeil still life of a gun rack by 17th century painter Jacob Biltius is so spectacularly convincing that you have to fight the urge to reach out and grab one of the rifles ‘perched’ there.
As different as these gems of art are, you can actually find them all in one place – along with a bronze Egyptian sarcophagus (for a cat!), a black leather horse’s harness decorated with thirty-one silver bells, an iron gate dating back to around 1500, imperial porcelain bowls from China, and much, much more – at PAN Amsterdam, “the fair of today for art, antiques, and design.”
The popular art show is back for its 26th year November 18-25, 2012 at Amsterdam Rai-Parkhal.
Chandelier by Hans van Bentem
Photo: Flickr/Pascal Walschots
If you’re a sucker for reality television shows like The Antique Road Show, this is an event that is practically perfect for you, in every way. All the objects were vetted on Friday 16 November – two days prior to the event’s grand opening – according to the strictest standards for quality, authenticity, and condition by over eighty experts.
But leave any art or antiques of your own at home, as bringing any such item in for valuation is forbidden (yup, the event website really does say that).
PAN Amsterdam typically draws in a crowd of around 50,000 art enthusiasts and professional and private collectors, who come together each November to admire, discuss, learn about, and, perhaps even buy art.
Luckily, for those of us without thousands to spend on objet d’art, ‘window shopping’ is more than encouraged!
Times and ticket information can be found on the PAN Amsterdam website.
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