Amsterdam is a city full of sculptures. There are very few squares or parks that do not have a wonderful statue. The first statues represented Rembrandt (1852), Vondel (1867) and Thorbecke (1876). Countless others followed. So a tour to take in the many statues and sculptures is a lovely way to spend a few hours.
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A statue of a man sawing off the branch he is standig on -
The statue of Rembrandt on the Rembrandt Square in Amsterdam -
- Take a walk past all the statues in Amsterdam.
- See the statues of Rembrandt, Vondel and Thorbecke.
- Almost every square has a statue.
“Iconoclastic Fury”
It used to be different. After the rise of Protestantism and the ‘Beeldenstorm’ or Iconoclastic Fury of 1566, the Dutch were not fond of statues. And Holland was a country of painters, not sculptors, even if it was just because our loam and sandy soil did not contain the right type of rock for sculptures.
So many statues
Fortunately Amsterdam boasts a great many wonderful statues and sculptures today. We have listed a few in the city centre for you:
- Rembrandt van Rijn on Rembrandtplein square
- Joost van den Vondel at the Vondelpark
- Johan Rudolph Thorbecke on Thorbeckeplein square
- De Stedemaagd at the entrance to the Vondelpark
- De Schilddrager (shield bearer) near Amsterdam Central Station
- Jezus Heilig Hart at the Begijnhof
- Ferdinand Nieuwenhuis on Nassauplein square
- Vrouwe Fortuna on Muntplein square
- De Dokwerker on Daniël Meijerplein square
- Arthur van Schendel on the Stadhouderskade
- Jongen met Haan (Boy with Cock) on Hoekenes
- The National Monument on Dam square
- Het Lieverdje on the Spui
- Het Zaagmannetje (little saw man) in the tree of the Leidsebosje
- Bredero on Nieuwmarkt square
- Woutertje Pieterse and Femke on Noordermarkt square
- Theo Thijssen near the Lindengracht
- Vrouwen van Ravensbrück (the Ravensbrück Women, a WWII memorial) on Museumplein square
- Anne Frank on the Westermarkt
- Man met Vioolkist (man with violin case) on the Tweede Marnixplantsoen
- Multatuli near the Torensluis
- Simon Carmiggelt at the Eerste Weteringplantsoen
- The Violinist at the Stopera
- Tante Leen on Johnny Jordaanplein square