I reviewed the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. I visited this museum a few times when I sent a summer in The Netherlands, and I saw that outside groups had positively reviewed its website, so I wanted to see how that compared to the in person experience. The Rijks has huge halls with lots of open space, and the website reflects some of this feeling with images that span the full width of the page.

The curators have been developing a series called “Rijksmuseum in 60 Seconds,” in which a curator will showcase one piece of art, telling its story and highlighting some impressive details in just about 60 seconds. That tends to be the right time span to keep someone’s attention online, so I think this was a great move on their part. It helps someone learn about the work if they can’t visit, or it helps someone plan their visit and make a list of works they want to see. The videos are produced well, and have different viewpoints, so we can see the detail of the work and the full composition as needed.

Similarly, they have another portion of their website dedicated to “One Hundred Masterpieces.” In this, a curator narrates a still image of one art piece, in about 90 seconds. Many people are interested in the masterpieces shown at the Rijks, so this is also right on target for many of the same reasons that “Rijksmuseum in 60 Seconds” was.

I found “From Student to Master” also very interesting. This page has painting and color mixing tutorials for new artists. The videos are recorded in Dutch, but have English subtitles for a wider audience. I imagine school groups and families would reference these sites before or after a visit to the museum.

They also use humor on their website! Something I always appreciate :)

In terms of serving and engaging different communities, the museum does have pages dedicated to their statements on inclusivity and sustainability. They offer an API, but I’m not sure the extent this is used. For young adult audiences, the Rijks seems to be active on social media, but not to extent Antonella pointed out in class today. For audiences that are interested in science and technology, they are showcasing how they are resorting one of their most famous pieces, The Night Watch.