The Fondation Custodia and the Print Room of the Rijksmuseum are offering a two-year apprenticeship for two candidates in the department of prints and drawings. Each Junior Curator will spend one year at the Fondation Custodia in Paris and one year at the Print Room of the Rijksmuseum. The deadline for applying is 2 December 2018.

Information from the Rijksmuseum, 10 November 2017

The apprenticeship is available to young art historians who have recently completed a Master’s degree in art history and who wish to become specialist curators of works on paper. One year will be spent working at the Fondation Custodia and the other year at the Print Room (Rijksprentenkabinet).

The purpose of the apprenticeship is to give young art historians experience at these two locations, actively engaging in all facets of curating a collection of prints and drawings, including management, expansion, documentation, publications and exhibitions. Among other tasks, the Junior Curator will work on an exhibition of objects selected from the collection of the Print Room, to be held in Paris according to a set schedule.

Main activities of this position

• Learning to identify graphical techniques and describing works of art
• Using a database to inventory and catalogue works on paper, including prints, drawings, sketchbooks and artists’ correspondence
• Developing an understanding of how to structure a catalogue raisonné, exhibition catalogue or collection catalogue
• Developing an understanding of the structure of historical collections and navigating the Marques de Collections website
• Developing expertise on drawings and prints, and their appropriate attribution
• Developing relevant expertise on the dynamics of the art market; becoming aware of the importance of drawings and prints as assets in a collection
• Preparing acquisitions, visiting viewing days, art auctions and trade exhibitions
• Preparing presentations and exhibitions of works on paper
• Writing explanatory label texts and entries for works on paper

Requirements

• Advanced degree in art history
• Clear affinity with works of art on paper and the ambition to specialize in this field
• Cooperative and flexible
• Good social and communication skills
• Solid analytical skills
• Good command of English
• At least a basic knowledge of French and/or Dutch

Appointment

The first year of the appointment may take place in Amsterdam or Paris. The Rijksmuseum and the Fondation Custodia each offer a contract of employment for one year in accordance with locally applicable employment law. Rijksmuseum: the gross salary is € 2.956 per month (scale 10), excluding holiday allowance and year-end bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Museums applies. Housing is not provided. Fondation Custodia: the gross salary is € 2.600 per month, excluding holiday allowance. Housing nearby Fondation Custodia is provided free of charge.

Further information

For further information please contact Jane Turner, Head of the Print Room, at + 31 (0)6 51 14 71 13 or Ger Luijten, Director of Fondation Custodia, at +33 (0)1 53 59 12 50. If you have any questions regarding the application procedure, please contact Lieke Boers, personnel officer, at +31 (0)20 6747306.

To apply

Send your application (letter to the attention of J. Turner and G. Luijten and CV) by e-mail to vacatures@rijksmuseum.nl, quoting the job title, by no later than 2 December 2017. Interviews will be scheduled in December (dates are not available yet).