Holland America's Art Collection
Cruise Line is Renowned for its Museum Quality Art Treasures
Jun 22, 2009
Whether it's a painting, sculpture, sea map, figurine or a collectible, the artwork is interwoven into the ship's interior design. The Amsterdam, for example, features a signature collection of maritime paintings and ship models. Yet, on the "lighter" side, passengers see displays of signed baseballs from such legends as Joe DiMaggio.
Guests on the Eurodam view cartographer Johannes Vingboons' remarkable watercolor sea maps from the mid-17th century. At the entrance to the main dining room, a showcase is filled with items from the Dutch Golden Age. Also, modern maritime artist Stephen Card painted a new series especially for Holland America's newest ship, the Eurodam.
Antiques Onboard Holland America
The Maasdam features an 18th century ebony cabinet from England with reversed paintings behind glass, while the Noordam has an inlaid chest of ebony and precious stones flanked by 17th century Baroque columns.
A stunning Waterford crystal globe that's 7 feet in diameter tops off the Oosterdam's atrium. The Ryndam boasts a portable writing desk from 1595. Both the Volendam and Westerdam house rare pre-Columbian art, including carved limestone figures from Ecuador that are reported to be 5,000 years old.
Incorporating a music theme, the Zaandam's showstopper is a grand organ in the center of the atrium. Display cases exhibit instruments such as Bill Clinton's saxophone and signed guitars from music greats Queen, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton.
On the Zuiderdam, passengers can't miss the colorful painting of The Netherlands' Queen Beatrix by pop culture artist Andy Warhol. Art is also integrated into the ship's design. For instance, every time cruisers get on the elevator, they observe the cast aluminum elevator doors inspired by the art deco work of the famed Chrysler Building in New York.
Onboard Self-Guided Art Tours
Holland America also joined the world of high-tech with its free, self-guided art tours where guests use handheld iPods. Although cruisers may go at their own pace, the narrated tour usually takes 45 to 50 minutes. The art tour includes walking directions, interviews with artists, background music and photo images displayed on the iPod screen to help guests locate each piece of art. Prior to the cruise, travelers may even download tours from the cruise line's website and on iTunes.
A note-worthy addition is the cruise line's full-color, 176-page tabletop book The Art of Cruising: Fine Art and Antiques of Holland America Line. The book highlights such pieces as Andy Warhol's Queen Beatrix series, an original Man Ray sculpture, Susanna Holt's life-size bronze sculptures of wildlife, and murals by international artists like Barbara Broekman and Wout Muller. The book serves as a complement to all forms of art throughout each of Holland America's ships.
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