14 Paintings from the Rijksmuseum added to the Rembrandt Database
30 September 2014
(Technical) documents of 14 paintings from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam are now accessible on the Rembrandt Database. Documents about masterpieces such as the Nightwatch, the Jewish Bride and the Syndics are among them.
An overview of the conservation and research history with related images and texts are presented together with art historical information about the paintings. A large part of the documents are connected to the “Late Rembrandt Project” in the 90’s. During this project eight Rembrandt paintings of the Rijksmuseum were restored. Before restoration all the paintings were thoroughly studied. All treatments were preceded and accompanied by material research. Some of the examination methods used were: x-radiography, infrared photography, sample analysis, normal light studies, ultraviolet light studies, raking light studies and stereomicroscopy.
The rich documentation of the Rijksmuseum provided the Rembrandt Database with 1693 documents.
Research curator Jonathan Bikker, documentalist René Blekman, and conservators Ige Verslype, Anna Krekeler and Gwen Tauber have provided the database with data and have been working on the presentation in close collaboration with the RKD. Collaboration with the Rijksmuseum will be continued during the next project phase. Not only will we add more paintings of the Rijksmuseum to our database, but it is also our goal to make accessible all the x-rays of Rembrandt paintings the Rijksmuseum holds that are not part of their collection.