Fotos

Amsterdam has several beautiful towers, but my favourite is undoubtedly the bell tower of Zuiderkerk ("Southern Church"). It was the city's first church built specifically for Protestant services between 1603 and 1611, but the distinctive church tower, which dominates the surrounding area, was not completed until 1614 (this date one can see on the facade). The design of the church in Amsterdam Renaissance style is by Hendrick de Keyser, who was also buried in the church in 1621. Three of Rembrandt's children were also buried in the Zuiderkerk, which is very near to Rembrandt's house in the Jodenbreestraat. According to local legend, he painted the Night Watch at the church because his own studio was too small, but that is a highly disputed claim. The Zuiderkerk was used for church services until 1929. During the final (1944-1945) winter of World War II, known as the winter of hunger in the Netherlands because food was so scarce, the church was in use as a temporary morgue because people were dying faster than they could be buried. The church was closed in 1970 because it was at the point of collapse. In the years 1976-1979, the church underwent renovation, and since 1988 it serves as a municipal information centre.

French Impressionist painter Claude Monet painted the church during a visit to the Netherlands. There is some confusion about the date of this painting, but it was probably one of 12 paintings made by Monet in 1874 during a visit to Amsterdam. I have added a copy of this painting to the WS.

I have converted to BW and added some grain to get the "old newspaper" effect that I wanted. The chains belong to the small bridge from which the picture was taken and which can also be seen on Monet's painting.