news

Analytical chemist Paolo D'Imporzano and geochemist Gareth R. Davies studied samples from eight works by Johannes Vermeer.

On the occasion of Amsterdam 750, the Royal Palace Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum join forces in the first major exhibition dedicated to Artus Quellinus, the most important Baroque sculptor of the Dutch Golden Age. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, a special UT scientific project by Dzemila Sero is taking place: for the first time, human impressions and fingerprints on Quellinus' terracotta models are being systematically examined with groundbreaking results.

New research has revealed that Rembrandt impregnated the canvas for his famous 1642 militia painting 'The Night Watch' with a lead-containing substance even before applying the first ground layer. Such lead-based impregnation has never before been observed with Rembrandt or his contemporaries. The discovery , published today in Science Advances, underlines Rembrandt's inventive way of working, in which he did not shy away from using new techniques.

Together with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands Institute for Conservation+Art+Science+ (NICAS) and Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Amsterdam Museum conducted research into the origin of the gold of the Golden Coach. Where the gold leaf with which the coach is gilded came from has long been unknown.