The Print Room of the Rijksmuseum is offering a one- to two-year training position for a candidate to join the curatorial team to contribute actively to the compilation of the permanent collection catalogue of the museum’s world-class collection of 17th-century Dutch drawings. The appointment is supported by the Getty Foundation as part of The Paper Project, an initiative focused on prints and drawings curatorship in the 21st century.
The position is available to young art historians who have recently completed a Master’s or PhD degree in art history with a specialist focus on 17th-century Dutch art, in particular drawings.
The main purpose of the appointment is to assist the curatorial team compiling the online permanent collection catalogue of nearly 4,000 drawings in the Rijksprentenkabinet by Dutch artists born between 1601 and 1675. In addition to writing catalogue entries, the successful candidate will participate in other facets of departmental activities, including collection management, acquisitions, documentation, and exhibitions. Depending on results of the catalogue research, there may be an opportunity for the Junior Academic Researcher to mount a small exhibition of new discoveries related to items from the forthcoming catalogue.
Main activities of this position are:
- Researching and writing catalogue entries on 17th-century Dutch drawings, including learning to make accurate tombstone descriptions and undertake provenance research.
- Developing connoisseurship skills on drawings.
- Using a database to upload cataloguing research results.
- Developing relevant expertise on the dynamics of the art market; becoming aware of the importance of drawings as assets in a collection.
- Preparing acquisition proposals, visiting viewing days, art auctions and trade fairs.
- Preparing small presentations and exhibitions of works on paper.
- Writing explanatory label texts and entries for works on paper.
Requirements
- Advanced degree in art history with focus on Dutch art of the Golden Age;
- Clear affinity with Old Master drawings and the ambition to specialize in this field;
- Cooperative and flexible;
- Good command of English;
- Good writing skills;
- Basic reading knowledge of Dutch.
Appointment
The Rijksmuseum offers a contract of employment for one year, with the possibility of a renewal for another twelve months, in accordance with locally applicable employment law. Depending on experience, the gross salary is between €2,956 and €3,867 per month (scale 10), excluding holiday allowance and year-end bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Museums applies. Housing is not provided.
Further information
For further information please contact Jane Turner, Head of the Print Room, at + 31 (0)6 5114 7113. If you have any questions regarding the application procedure, please contact the Personnel office at +31 (0)20 6747304.
To apply
Send your application (letter to the attention of J. Turner and CV) by e-mail to vacatures@rijksmuseum.nl, quoting the job title, by no later than 15 October 2018. Interviews will be scheduled in late October or early November (dates are not yet available).