Women in the Rijksmuseum: Hidden Powers

The Rijksmuseum collection is bursting with stories by and about women. From influential wives to pioneering artists, their presence is unmistakable. Take Maria van Reigersbergh, for example, who devised the ingenious escape plan for her husband Hugo de Groot. Or Rachel Ruysch, one of the most successful painters of her time. She earned between 750 and 1,200 guilders per painting - considerably more than Rembrandt, who rarely exceeded 500 guilders.

With the research project Women of the Rijksmuseum the museum is actively working to improve the gender balance within its collection and presentation. The central question: what traces have women left in Dutch art and history, and how do we make them visible? The project was launched on March 8, 2021, during International Women's Day. For the first time in history, female artists were given a prominent place in the Gallery of Honor - a milestone in recalibrating our collective memory.

Since then, thanks in part to the Women of the Rijksmuseum Fund, exhibitions have been organized, publications released and new acquisitions made. Numerous object labels have also been rewritten so that visitors view works of art from a broader, more inclusive perspective.

"Anyone who looks closely in the Rijksmuseum will see that women were never absent - only their stories were."

Those who visit the Rijksmuseum not only discover masterpieces from the Golden Age, but also the indispensable role of women as makers, muses, collectors and innovators. The special tours and workshops offer depth and invite you to look at the collection with fresh eyes.

The Rijksmuseum shows that art history is not a fixed story, but a dynamic whole that is constantly being rewritten - with women finally at the forefront.