FAQ Collection and Data

In Collection Online, almost the entire collection of the Rijksmuseum is searchable. Under the heading 'View all data', information about the objects can be found, and references to literature are provided if available. For research purposes, it is possible to consult publicly accessible documentation, archival materials, and research data. You can contact us via the contact form at the bottom of this page.

By appointment, you can visit the Rijksmuseum Research Library and the Study Room for Prints and Drawings. In the Research Library, publications can be requested and viewed, and in the Study Room, prints, drawings, photographs, and other works on paper can be studied. Read more about the collections and services of the Rijksmuseum Research Library and the Study Room. Practical information about a visit can be found here.

This can be done via the link at the bottom of each object page in Collection Online. When you use this link, we will immediately know which object description your question or comment pertains to. If you have a more general question, you can use the contact form below. Please choose the subject: Question or comment about an object from the Rijksmuseum collection.

The Rijksmuseum's services are focused on providing (art) historical information about objects from the Rijksmuseum collection.

Only if there are direct connections with objects from the Rijksmuseum collection will the museum consider your request. You can contact us via the contact form at the bottom of this page and choose the subject: Question about an object from the Rijksmuseum collection. If there is no direct connection with the Rijksmuseum collection, you can seek more information from an auction house, art dealer, or independent appraiser.

The Rijksmuseum does not provide information about the value of objects owned by third parties. For this, you can contact an auction house, art dealer, or independent appraiser. If you want to investigate the possible value of an (art) object yourself, the information in the research guide "Determining the Value of an Art Object" can help you further.

For information about artists, we refer you to the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie in The Hague, the Union List of Artist Names Online from The Getty Research Institute, The Photographers' Identities Catalog from the New York Public Library, and the thesaurus of the Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL) or Ecartico.

As a starting point for information about historical persons, we refer you to Wikidata, the Virtual International Authority File, or the Biographical Portal.

For these kinds of questions, you can contact the CBG – Centrum voor Familiegeschiedenis. This is the knowledge and documentation center for genealogical research and related sciences.

To order photos of objects from the Rijksmuseum collection, you can use the request form on the "Requesting Images" page.

An overview of the regulations concerning copyright can be found on the "Open Data Policy" page.

If you have a (art) historical object in your possession and would like to give it a place in the Rijksmuseum, we refer you to the page "Donations and Bequests".