Exhibition programme

9 October 2026 - 17 January 2027 

One hundred years after Willem de Kooning left Rotterdam for a new life in New York, Rijksmuseum brings de Kooning back to the Netherlands with the major Willem de Kooning at Work. De Kooning became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Featuring more than 120 works, Rijksmuseum’s landmark exhibition is a comprehensive overview of his drawn works, complemented by a selection of de Kooning’s most celebrated paintings and sculptures. The drawings trace the development of a modern master who changed art forever, offering unprecedented insight into the practice of an artist in constant search of renewal. Alongside the exhibition, two of de Kooning’s most iconic paintings – Woman I and Woman and Bicycle – will be displayed concurrently in the Rijksmuseum’s Gallery of Honour, placing de Kooning among the great masters of Dutch painting.

Willem de Kooning at work will be on view from 9 October 2026 through 17 January 2027 and is developed in collaboration with the Art Institute of Chicago and The Willem de Kooning Foundation in New York. The exhibition is made possible in part by The Willem de Kooning Foundation, The Friends Lottery, Ammodo Art, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne, Blockbusterfonds, Rijksmuseum International Circle, Rijksmuseum Friends and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

9 October 2026 – 17 January 2027

Kadir van Lohuizen photographs the energy transition on and around the North Sea

The North Sea region is rapidly developing into the energy hub of northwest Europe. Stretching across the seascape, as far as the eye can see, lies the visually striking backdrop to the energy transition underway: the offshore wind farms with wind turbines hundreds of metres tall, complex technical infrastructure, and metres-thick cables and pipelines. Photographer and filmmaker Kadir van Lohuizen also captures images of solar farms, hydrogen plants, CO₂ storage facilities and data centres. He was granted exclusive access to these sites in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom. In this exhibition, Van Lohuizen offers a panoramic view of developments that are unfolding largely out of sight – whether on the open sea or in secure and complex high-tech facilities.

The exhibition is made possible in part by Floor Fonds/Rijksmuseum Fonds and Rijksmuseum NEXT.

12 February – 23 May 2027

Around 1600, drawing underwent a true revolution in the Northern Netherlands, where a group of artist friends – including Hendrick Goltzius, Jacques de Gheyn II and Abraham Bloemaert – found common ground in a shared drive for innovation. Through experimentation with a wide range of materials, techniques and subjects, and by pushing virtually every boundary, they elevated drawing to unprecedented heights. The art of drawing (working title) is a major survey exhibition that captures this transformation in drawing through more than 100 highlights from European and American collections. The exhibition will run from 12 February to 23 May 2027 at the Rijksmuseum, and from 18 June to 26 September 2027 at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York.

The exhibition is made possible in part by the Patrons of the Rijksmuseum.

Visitors to the Night Watch Gallery will see the Operation Night Watch team working in the glass chamber on the biggest ever research and restoration project devoted to Rembrandt’s masterpiece. They are currently working – with microscopic precision – to remove the old varnish from the painting. This phase marks the start of the treatment that will ultimately ensure the painting is preserved in the best possible condition for future generations.

Operation Night Watch is made possible by main partner AkzoNobel, along with funds and private donors through the Rijksmuseum Fonds.

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