Under the magnifying glass

Apart from collecting, keeping, and displaying, researching is one of the important pillars of museum work. In museum collections all over the world objects are being researched for their craftsmanship, technique, construction, materials, provenance, and date.

The Rijksmuseum’s costume collection, originating in the 1870’s in The Hague, has over the years been extensively researched many times according to the than prevailing knowledge and standards. However, in the last decades rapid successive technological and scientific developments have created surprising opportunities for asking new questions or taking different perspectives.

‘Old’ assumptions can now be checked, and sometimes new answers put certain ‘evidence’ under pressure. For this symposium, the Rijksmuseum has invited a number of renowned speakers (curators, conservators, researchers) from at home and abroad to present their approved and new methods of research.

The symposium would like to offer a platform where the pros and cons of these methods can be addressed in an open and constructive discussion.

Programme

Visit to Vermeer

A visit to the highly acclaimed Vermeer exhibition is included.

Departure

This symposium marks the retirement of Bianca M. du Mortier, as the Rijksmuseum’s curator of Costume for nearly 43 years.