Obama Visit Closes Amsterdam’s Museums

US President Barack Obama looks at the Dutch Prime Minister during a joint press conference held in front of Rembrandt's painting The Night Watch following meetings at the Rijksmuseum, the State Museum, in Amsterdam, on March 24, 2014. Photo AFP PHOTO/ POOL/Jerry Lampen via Getty Images.

In what might be history’s most secure (and stylish) museum visit ever, President Obama will drop by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam by helicopter for a one hour tour. As a result, all of the Museumplein institutions—the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum—are closed to the public on Monday. According to the dpa, art-loving Obama is most keen to see Rembrandt masterwork Night Watch (1642).

A barricade of shipping containers was already put in place on Sunday in preparation for the President’s visit, providing a makeshift heliport in the middle of the Museumplein square. After his hour of culture, Obama is set to take off for the Haag. There, he and and other world leaders will meet to discuss Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The meetings coincide with Chinese president Xi Jinping’s current trip across the European continent.


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.