In a year when the Rijksmuseum welcomed over 2.3 million visitors, a historic step was taken with the announcement of a new museum in Eindhoven. Ten exhibitions were staged, several notable acquisitions were showcased, and AI was employed to make the online collection even more accessible.
The autumn exhibition At Home in the 17th Century has already welcomed more than 100,000 visitors and runs until 11 January 2026.
“It is wonderful that so many people throughout the Netherlands and beyond are enjoying the Rijksmuseum collection – art connects people . My thanks to all the visitors, partners and Friends who have made this possible. — Taco Dibbits, Director of the Rijksmuseum.
In 2025, the Rijksmuseum welcomed over 2.3 million visitors, who rated their experience an average of 8.65 out of 10. The museum’s online following grew, and 7.5 million people visited the Rijksmuseum website. 50 million people were reached via social media, and 300,000 people listened to the Dutch podcast series ‘In het Rijksmuseum’. A total of 405,000 children visited the museum this year, including 155,000 who came as part of school groups.
Highlights of 2025:
• On 11 December, the Municipality of Eindhoven and the Rijksmuseum jointly announced plans to build a new branch of the Rijksmuseum in Eindhoven. ASML has expressed its intention to provide substantial, multi-year support for this ambitious project. The new museum is expected to be completed within six to eight years.
• More than 100,000 visitors have already seen At Home in the 17th Century. The unique design for this exhibition was the result of a collaboration between the Rijksmuseum and theatre maker and artist Steef de Jong. Renowned British actor Helena Bonham Carter provided the narration for the English audio tour. The exhibition runs until 11 January.
• In early December, the Rijksmuseum launched a visual search feature for the Collection Online on the Rijksmuseum’s website. With the help of AI, all artworks in the collection can now be explored by similarity in shape, colour, style and object type with just a click.
• Operation Night Watch is the largest research and restoration project ever carried out on Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, with all work conducted in a glass chamber, in full view of visitors. Over the course of 2025, the team began removing the varnish. The discovery was also made this year that Rembrandt based the barking dog in The Night Watch on an early 17th-century drawing by Adriaen van de Venne.
• Triton (1652), an exceptional terracotta sculpture by the renowned Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680), went on permanent display at the Rijksmuseum in early 2025, thanks to a permanent loan from a private collector.
• In spring, the Rijksmuseum staged American Photography, the first comprehensive survey exhibition in Europe of American photography.
• The Rijksmuseum acquired a rare condom dating from 1830. This nearly 200-year-old contraceptive, believed to have been made from a sheep’s appendix , features an erotic print of a nun with three clergymen. The purchase of this object attracted significant attention.
• The Rijksmuseum Gardens and building hosted a display of around 25 sculptures and 30 light installations by the artist Isamu Noguchi.
• For the first time in its history, the Rijksmuseum gave a contemporary artist carte blanche in 2025 to explore its vast collections, resulting in Fiona Tan: Monomania, a major exhibition made possible in part by the Mondriaan Fund and the Women of the Rijksmuseum Fund.
-Since 12 September, the original 34-hour film of Steve McQueen’s artwork Occupied City has been shown, for the first time, as a continuous loop on the façade of the Rijksmuseum. It will remain on view until 25 January.
• The Women of the Rijksmuseum research project led to the purchase of a Vanitas still life by Maria van Oosterwijck and its presentation in the museum’s Gallery of Honour. Van Oosterwijck is one of the most important Dutch women painters of the 17th century.
The first Women of the Rijksmuseum lecture, featuring Katy Hessel, took place on the evening of 12 November, which also marked the launch of the Dutch podcast series ‘Vrouwen aan de muur’ (‘Women on the Wall’).
• The Rijksmuseum works closely with museums in various regions of the Netherlands. The first M6 series of exhibitions throughout the Netherlands, Treasures from the Rijks, attracted more than 300,000 visitors. A new series titled Faith, Hope and Love will start next year.
Credit: https://artdaily.cc/
