Rijksmuseum: The Cuypers Library

The Rijksmuseum Cuypers library is the largest and oldest historical art library in the Netherlands. It is open to guests, students, and art history students who can use the library to delve deeper into the Rijksmuseum collection. iPads are available for general use and there is free WiFi access in the library and throughout the gallery.

When it was completed, it was the largest art history library in the Netherlands and it remains so today. The collection contains a total of around 450,000 items, which are available for consultation and study. The library was designed by Cuypers to create a space with a sense of grandeur, which appears larger than it is. This is achieved through the use of smaller support points at the top and bottom, making them appear taller and the space as a whole appear higher.

The reading room originally contained far fewer books than it does today and currently only houses a small portion of the collection, with most of it stored in underground vaults beneath the structure. In addition to the reading room, visitors can also find a section dedicated to paper documents, rare books, and other documentation, including drawings and etchings by Old Masters.

The decorations in the library serve two purposes: to celebrate the work of art history students and to remind visitors to maintain silence in the library. A text on the wall reads (in Dutch) “Thou hast two eyes and one mouth” as a reminder to guests to observe and not speak.