Established:
The Rijksmuseum, which means State Museum in Dutch, was first established in 1800 in The Hague.
History:
But it wasn't until 1885 that the Museum officially opened in its newly constructed and permanent home in Amsterdam. At that time, the Nederlandsch Museum voor Geschiedenis en Kunst (Netherlands Museum for History and Art) combined with the Rijksmuseum to establish its impressive collection of art and history.
Mission:
"As a museum of art and history the Rijksmuseum aims to provide a domestic and international public with a representative survey of Dutch art and history since the Middle Ages as well as key aspects of European and Asiatic art."
"To this end, the Rijksmuseum maintains, manages, conserves, restores, researches and publishes, collects, presents and makes objects accessible as well as organizes exhibitions."
Location:
Museum's Conservation Department:
Famed Artworks in Collection:
- Art: paintings, sculpture, and Asiatic art.
- History: paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, clothing, and weapons.
- Drawings, Prints & Photographs: decorative prints, portraits, bookplates and iconography.
The Rijksmuseum is renowned for its superb collection of Dutch painting. Famous artworks in the collection include the highly acclaimed Night Watch by Rembrandt and paintings by Vermeer, and Hals.
Noteworthy Facts:
The Manfred and Hanna Heiting Scholarship is available for curators who wish to use the original photographs in the Rijksmuseum's National Photo Collection in order to help advance photo-historical research.
Two scholarships are awarded annually for post-graduate research for a 6-month period and the research must culminate in an article in a scholarly publication.
Research "could be an in-depth study of one photograph or photo book and/or its distribution; on a series of photographs or part of an oeuvre; on the aesthetic or technical aspects of photography; on the wider context of a photo book or album; or on combinations of art-historical research and research on materials and techniques."
Employment Information:
In 1995, the large Museum became an independent organization. It operates on approximately a 40 million Euro budget and employs a staff of more than 350 persons. Jobs in the Museum range from art specialists such as fine art restorers and conservators, art historians and curators to business administrators such as sales and marketing personnel, visitor services, security, public relations and design.
The Rijksmuseum keeps an updated listing of available jobs. So if you wish to work in the Museum, check the Rijksmuseum Online Job Listings regularly for potential jobs.
It is important to note that job applicants must be fluent in the Dutch language.
How to Apply for a Job:
Most job vacancies are only available for those applicants who are fluent in Dutch. However, some internships are available in English. To find out if an internship is available, it is recommended to email your c.v. and cover letter to vacatures@rijksmuseum.nl.
In your email, please specify the name of your school, and the museum department you are interested in, plus the time you are available to intern. Please check the Rijksmuseum website for further details.
Museum's Contact Info:
Rijksmuseum, The Masterpieces and Infocentre (The New Rijksmuseum), Jan Luijkenstraat 1, Amsterdam Holland, Tel: +31 (0)20 6747000
Rijksmuseum websiteMuseum Hours: Every day from 9:00 to 18:00
