Since 1975 the Biblical Museum has been housed in two imposing canalside buildings, known as the Cromhout houses, on Amsterdam’s stately Herengracht. These historic buildings in the Dutch Classical style were built in 1662 by the celebrated architect Philips Vingboons for their first resident, the wealthy merchant Jacob Cromhout. A crooked log on the gable stone at the front of the house is a reference to the literal meaning of Cromhout’s surname: “bent wood”.
architecture
The buildings harbour a wealth of architectural and historical treasures, including two of the best-preserved antique kitchens in the Netherlands, dating from 17th century. The two garden rooms have magnificent plasterwork ceilings by Ignatius van Logteren, and the elegant staircase in the English style which leads from the marble entrance hall to the upper storeys is another particularly fine feature.
Jacob de Wit
One of the highlights of the museum is the 1718 painted ceiling by Jacob de Wit in the rear hall. It is made up of ten separate canvases crammed with mythological scenes, in a setting of oak beams. Since its restoration in 2000 the museum can boast another De Wit masterpiece: ‘Apollo and the Four Seasons’, from 1750, which has been installed in one of the restored rooms.
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Façade of the Cromhouthouses
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Small kitchen
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Plaster ceiling