About Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum, which translates to “The State Museum” in English, has been around for centuries and is considered one of the most beautiful galleries in the world. The museum has undergone many changes throughout its history, and after its recent renovation, it is now a must-see attraction when visiting the Netherlands.

It is the most visited museum in the Netherlands, and it contains over a million pieces of art, documents, and other important items related to Dutch history. Although the museum as an institution has existed since around 1800, it was originally located in The Hague and moved to the Dutch capital a few years after its establishment.

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has acquired its exceptional status over time due to not only its collection of Dutch and world masterpieces such as Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” and works by Vermeer, van Dyck, and Jan Steen, but also because of the extensive collection of artefacts of material Dutch culture, a vast collection of prints, drawings and classical photography.

The Rijksmuseum displays 8,000 pieces of art and history from its collection of 1 million items from the years 1200-2000. Some of the most notable works include those by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. Rijksmuseum also houses a small Asian collection displayed in the Asian Pavilion.

The museum’s main building closed for a major renovation in December 2003. During this renovation, around 400 items from the collection were displayed in the “Masterpiece building,” including Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” and other seventeenth-century paintings.

The restoration and redesign of the Rijksmuseum were based on a plan by Spanish architects Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz. The restoration of many of the old interior decorations took place. In addition, the floors in the courtyards were removed. The renovation was initially planned to take five years, but it was delayed and ultimately took nearly a decade to complete. The renovation cost € 375 million.

The renovation of the building was completed on 16 July 2012. In March 2013, a shift took place, which included the museum’s main art pieces. They were moved back from the “Masterpiece building” of the Philips Wing to the main building. “The Night Watch” returned to the Night Watch Room, at the end of the Hall of Fame. On 13 April 2013, the main building was re-opened by Queen Beatrix. On 1 November 2014, the Philips Wing opened once again holding up an exhibition called “Modern Times: Photography in the Twentieth Century.”

The Rijksmuseum is currently able to display and present around 8,000 items at a given time and regularly changes its displays annually. However, many incredibly famous masterpieces are permanently on display within the gallery including “The Night Watch”, Johannes Vermeer’s “The Milkmaid” and several significant paintings by Vincent van Gogh.