The Watermarks project
Documenting watermarks from the 17th century Dutch drawings collection at the Rijksmuseum with low-energy x-ray radiography
The Watermarks Project focuses on documenting the museum’s prestigious collection of 17th-century Dutch drawings, using low-energy x-ray radiography to reveal watermarks and the paper structure.
About the project
The Watermarks Project by the Conservation & Science Department has the objective of capturing high-quality x-ray images of the 17th century Dutch drawings collection of the museum. These images allow to visualize and document clearly the characteristics of handmade paper, such as chain and laid lines, as well as watermarks.
The focus is given to the whole sheet of handmade paper instead of the watermark alone, since it potentially holds the information about its identity: where does it come from? Which paper maker produced it? When was it created?
Aim of the project
Through low energy X-rays, high-resolution digital images of watermarks and of the entire paper sheet are captured. Over a period of two years, radiographs of around four thousand Dutch drawings will be taken, with results eventually made freely available online to the Watermarks community and the public. The digital images are being organized and shared internally, while a preliminary index of identified watermarks is being compiled. The project, which started in 2024, has also attracted interest from other collections, demonstrating the technique’s versatility in studying paper-based artworks beyond the Rijksmuseum.
Staff
Aurora Belli
a.belli@rijksmuseum.nl
Research Technician/Junior Paper Conservator
Partners and sponsors
The project was made possible by the Van Marle Foundation and the Rijksmuseum fund.