The position of junior curator is designed to give recent graduates in art history the opportunity to develop as museum curators. In this case the successful candidate will be expected to develop expertise in the field of early Netherlandish paintings (both northern and southern; up to ca. 1600). The deadline for applications is 15 February 2009.

Museum announcement

As the national museum of art and history, the Rijksmuseum holds canonical collections of Netherlandish fine and applied arts and historical artifacts from the Middle Ages onwards, supplemented by important holdings of European and Asian art. Its principal function is to study, enhance and augment these collections and to present them for the enjoyment and benefit of a broad national and international audience.

Applications are invited for the post of:

Junior curator of early Netherlandish paintings (m/f)

36 hours per week

Information about the position

The position of junior curator is designed to give recent graduates in art history the opportunity to develop as museum curators. In this case the successful candidate will be expected to develop expertise in the field of early Netherlandish paintings (both Northern and Southern; up to ca. 1600).

The Rijksmuseum contains one of the largest and most important collections of early Netherlandish paintings and aims to provide as comprehensive an overview as possible of the development of painting in the Northern Netherlands from the earliest examples (e.g. Memorial Tablet for the Lords of Montfoort, ca. 1380) to the Dutch iconoclasm, including such individual masterpieces as the Dance around the Golden Calf by Lucas van Leyden, ca. 1530. The core of the collection was mostly assembled during the 19th century as a national and international reference collection and its expansion remains a fundamental task for the Rijksmuseum as national museum of art and history. A major part of the junior curator’s duties will be the preparation of volume II of the Catalogue of Early Netherlandish Painting (artists born after 1500). Volume I (artists born before 1500), by prof. Jan Piet Filedt Kok, will be published in March 2009.

As junior curator, you will help formulate the development of this collection, make proposals for acquisitions and oversee its maintenance and management. You will conduct research into the collection and communicate this acquired knowledge to as broad an audience as possible by means of scholarly and other publications, exhibitions, presentations, lectures, etc.

The post falls within the department of fine arts, which comprises curators, researchers, project staff and interns in the area of European and Asian painting, sculpture and applied arts. In addition, you will work closely with conservators, documentalists and other specialists. The successful candidate will also be expected to formulate a national and international network of colleagues in both museums and the academic world. You will contribute to the museum’s public function by assisting in the presentation of the sub-collection to the public, and its interpretation on art-historical, socio-historical and educational levels.

You will also contribute to the plans for the installation of The New Rijksmuseum, in which the collection of early Netherlandish painting will play a key role.

Requirements

– A degree in art history, preferably with credits in the history of painting
– Fluent in Dutch, and a working knowledge of other European languages
– A well defined interest in works of art as objects, their significance and interpretation
– Team-worker
– Analytical and problem-solving
– Professional manner, and ability to communicate your knowledge and vision of the collection with enthusiasm

Location

The post is located in Amsterdam, and the duties will be carried out the Rijksmuseum’s various premises in both Amsterdam and Lelystad. Currently, while the renovation of the main building takes place, the collection is divided among a number of museums in the Netherlands, including the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam and the Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht.

Appointment

The appointment will be for an initial period of one year, renewable on assessment of performance, with eligibility for permanent tenure after three years. Depending on training and experience, the gross salary will be a minimum of 34.821,- Euro and a maximum of 45.551,- Euro per year based on a full work week of 36 hours, including 8% holiday allowance and 2.25% end of the year allowance. The collective labour agreement for independent state museums is applicable.

Information

For further information, please phone or email Duncan Bull, Acting head of the department of fine arts, on +31 (0)20 674 7281, email: d.bull@rijksmuseum.nl. For queries about the application procedure, please phone Anita Jansen, personnel advisor, on +31 (0)20 674 7326.

Applications d.bull@rijksmuseum.nl

Please send us your application (letter, CV, list of publications, and names of two references familiar with your work) by e-mail (vacatures@rijksmuseum.nl) by no later than 15 February.