With the expansion of the existing collections of Rijksakademie’s predecessors the Stadstekenacademie (1708-1718) and the Koninklijke Academie (1820-1870), our collection reflects on three centuries of educational practice and the development of art and artistry in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and beyond, covering work from the 18th century to the present day.
From the start the Rijksakademie collected drawings, sculptures/plasters and books from different ages and on different subjects as a resource for drawing, sculpture and painting classes. In addition, material intended for general art-historical embedment was included, such as many rare works on anatomy, drawing, printmaking, art history and costumes. Next to this there are also many contemporary photography, film, video and audio works in the collection.
For over 150 years residents, advisors and the Rijksakademie team have been using our library and they have all played a decisive role in building up the collection. The result is an artist's library, which in the course of the last half century has developed an increasingly global perspective.
The library is also open to the public. We welcome visitors to do research, read, study or view visual material.
Opening hours:
Tue–Wed–Thu, 10:00–17:00
The library is closed from 25 December until 5 January 2024.
The Rijksakademie’s art collection gives an overview of art education and artistic practice through the previous three centuries.
A large part of this collection consists of work by former students, professors, directors and residents. It is regularly used by artists and researchers and is open to visitors by appointment. In the online catalogue you can find descriptions and images of the holdings present in our collection.