AMSTERDAM.- The Rijksmuseum has launched an ambitious restoration program. Masterpieces specially selected from the Rijksmuseum’s collection will undergo an intensive restoration process to ensure that they shine like never before by the time the museum’s main building re-opens in 2013. The pieces in question include Woman in Blue Reading A Letter by Vermeer, Six burial figures from the T’ang Dynasty, a mahogany period room from 1748 called The Beuning room, and the Silver table ornament by Jamnitzer which is one of the absolute highlights of the museum’s collection of European silversmithery. The Rijksmuseum is seeking sponsors for each of these projects.

The museum’s ultramodern Atelier Building originally opened its doors in 2007. In the meantime, thanks to the state-of-the-art facilities and the excellent collaboration between restorers, curators, academics (from the University of Amsterdam) and scientists (from the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage (ICN)), the Rijksmuseum’s restoration workshops have grown into a leading international, innovative, multidisciplinary centre of expertise in conservation, restoration, (art-)historical and material research.

The initial results of this work will be going on display from 21 April 2010 in the Philips Wing where the Rijksmuseum will be exhibiting the Radiant Madonnas – three round Italian Renaissance paintings that have been thoroughly restored with the help of the very latest research methods and will be presented as ‘reborn acquisitions from the museum’s own collection’.

At stand 805 at Tefaf Maastricht the Rijksmuseum is presenting a restored 18th-century Meissen porcelain ‘ara’ (a type of parrot). Restorers will be present at the stand throughout Tefaf Maastricht 2010 to talk about their profession and the Rijksmuseum’s collection.