Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century
Collection catalogue
Seventeenth-century Dutch art forms the nucleus of the collection of more than 5,550 paintings that have entered the Rijksmuseum since 1800 through purchases, donations and loans. Its size, diversity and quality make this the most representative overview of the Golden Age of Dutch art in the world.
In 2007 the Rijksmuseum began to systematically present its collection of more than 2,000 Dutch seventeenth-century paintings to the public in a series of catalogues raisonnés. Some 445 works of artists born between 1570 and 1600 were published in a printed volume, which are now also offered online. They include pictures by such masters as Balthasar van der Ast, Hendrick Avercamp, Hendrick ter Brugghen, Jan van Goyen, Frans Hals, Pieter Lastman, Pieter Saenredam, Esaias van de Velde and Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne. The entries on paintings that have since undergone changes in attribution and identification are being updated. Once they are put online, the original 2007 versions will remain available as pdfs at the bottom of the page. Additionally, some 100 works acquired between 1933 and 1945 have received more detailed provenances which are available here.
In the coming years this catalogue of seventeenth-century Dutch paintings will be supplemented on a regular basis, starting with over 500 works by around 150 artists born between 1600 and 1620. Among them are such notable names as Ferdinand Bol, Gerard ter Borch, Aelbert Cuyp, Gerrit Dou, Govert Flinck, Bartholomeus van der Helst, Jan Lievens, Aert van der Neer, Adriaen van Ostade, Rembrandt van Rijn, Willem van de Velde, Johannes Verspronck and Philips Wouwerman. About half of these paintings are currently available online.
Multidisciplinary research
All works in this catalogue have been studied in detail by the Rijksmuseum's curatorial staff in cooperation with its Conservation & Science Department, which extensively examined the technique and condition of each individual painting. This comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach has resulted in a thorough and critical assessment of this part of the museum’s holdings.
Notes for use and other attachments
A pdf with 'Notes on the use of this catalogue' can be downloaded below, along with an overview of the history of the collecting and cataloguing of the Rijksmuseum’s paintings. Additional attachments (containing among other things a key to abbreviations) can be found under the section ‘Entry’ of the entry pages. Each entry page can be found by scrolling down on the artwork page and clicking on ‘Catalogue entry’ below the image.
We thank
This cataloguing project is generously supported by the Getty Foundation.
