For centuries, horses have been central to art, symbolizing status, sport, and daily life. From meticulously composed portraits of racehorses to depictions of their strength and presence, artists have celebrated these remarkable animals in countless ways. 🐎 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie

What do you see in Van Gogh’s gaze? 🧑‍🎨    Van Gogh moved to Paris in 1886, where he discovered a new, vibrant approach to painting. In this self-portrait he experiments boldly: loose, rhythmic brushstrokes ripple across the canvas. 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200107928

Seen from up close, it’s a spectacle of colour. But the moment you take some distance, the rhythm of the waves reveals itself. Jan Toorop painted this seascape in Katwijk, where he lived in 1887. 🌊 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20026426

Can love make you sick? 💔 In Elisabeth Geertruida Wassenbergh’s The Doctor’s Visit, a woman lies back while a doctor checks her pulse. It looks like a medical emergency, but the real story unfolds through symbols. Cupid, a ship at sea, a foot stove. They all point to one diagnosis: lovesickness!

This touching, intimate portrait was created near the end of Jean-Etienne Liotard’s first stay in the Netherlands. Portrayed here is the 65-year-old grandmother of his Dutch bride, Marie Fargues, whom he married in Amsterdam in 1756. 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200108457

Our latest exhibition FAKE! explores how, even at the very beginnings of photography, carefully staged and manipulated photographs fooled audiences around the world. 📸 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/fake

Lets put a spotlight on Maria Sibylla Merian, a German naturalist and artist. She was famous for her detailed illustrations of insects and plants, and her pioneering work in entomology.  👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/stories/10-things/story/maria-sibylla-merian-en

We wear them every day… but how do you wear your socks? 🧦 In the 17th century, stockings were a status symbol: silk, bright colours, and decorations showed wealth, taste, and elegance. Visible under skirts or breeches, they were a true fashion statement!  👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection

Gold and silver for our Dutch skating heroines! 🥇🥈 Women’s skating competitions were held in the Netherlands as early as the 19th century. In 1809, 64 young women raced across the ice in the town of Leeuwarden, all hoping to win the golden ear ornament.  👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20078759

Where do your thoughts drift when you let your mind wander? 💭🦋  🖼 George Hendrik Breitner, Girl in a White Kimono, 1894. Bequest of Mr and Mrs Drucker-Fraser Bequest, Montreux  👁️ Discover more: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200108304

These 17th-century silver salt cellars were made by Amsterdam silversmith Johannes Lutma. They belonged to Emma Budge, a leading Hamburg collector whose plans to donate her collection were thwarted by the Nazis.  👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/in-the-rijksmuseum-print-cabinets

Visit our newest exhibition, Metamorphoses, now open! ✨ 🖼️ Correggio, Jupiter and Io, ca. 1531–32. On loan from Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/metamorphoses

Isaac Israels is in his studio, surrounded by works in progress. Among them, a beach scene with figures and donkeys hints at Donkey Rides on the Beach. While not confirmed, the resemblance is striking. 🕵️‍♀️ 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/node/Isaac-Israels--e2bb73319447b7b0138340a94603fa28

Which flower would you give to a friend? 🌸✋ In these details from our collection, hands cradle, offer, and gather flowers. A simple gesture, repeated across centuries - sometimes tender, sometimes symbolic, sometimes fleeting. 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection

Caravaggio’s masterpiece has been installed in our new exhibition Metamorphoses. The story of Narcissus tells of a man who fell in love with his own reflection, a fatal illusion that led to his transformation into a flower. 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/metamorphoses

Alida Assink is presented here as a strikingly attractive young woman. She is also portrayed full-length, something Kruseman usually reserved for members of the royal family. Alida was not one of them, yet her guardian commissioned her portrait in this way.  👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200412737

First thought when you see this painting? 🐕 Man’s best friend, in a moment of silence… 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20027517

Rembrandt’s Joseph Telling His Dreams is now on its way to his artist’s home in Amsterdam, Museum Rembrandthuis. Using loose brushstrokes, Rembrandt captured Joseph as he tells his dreams to his parents and brothers. 🖌️ 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20026162

Behind the scenes of the installation of the Sleeping Hermaphroditus. Bernini made the ancient sculpture his own by adding a contemporary marble mattress and pillow. Next week, on 6 February, on show at our exhibition Metamorphoses. 🎟️ www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/metamorphoses

Ears rarely take centre stage in a painting, yet artists paid close attention to them. Tilted forward or partially hidden under hair, softly modelled or boldly brushed, an ear can hint at age, movement, mood, or simply the artist’s technique. 👂 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection

Meet Jozef Israëls, born on this day in 1824. 🤍 He was part of the Hague School, a group of painters who turned away from idealised images of everyday life. 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/node/Jozef-Israels--444c841e9ab8eabaeea04bd760e3264f

Time for a toast! What shall we raise our glass to?🥂🎉 A quick stroke here, a rough sweep there. 🖌️ In this portrait, Frans Hals’s loose painting style is clearly visible. He was one of the first artists to dare to paint in such a free manner. 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200109347

This painting shows the Battle of Terheide, fought on 10 August 1653 during the Anglo-Dutch Wars. At the centre looms the 'Brederode', the largest ship in the Dutch fleet, commanded by Admiral Maerten Harpertsz Tromp. 🌊💥 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200108202

Geertruida den Dubbelde, wife of Lieutenant Admiral Aert van Nes, stands before a balustrade, the harbor unfolding behind her with warships and figures on the quay. One hand extends outward, the other rests confidently at her waist. 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20027048

Ssshhh! Can you keep a secret? 🤫  This Cupid seems to know something we are not meant to hear. With a mischievous gaze and one finger pressed to his lips, he silently asks for our discretion. 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200116207

Who would you love to invite to a lavish dinner? 🍋🍷  Take a seat! In this still life by Willem Claesz. Heda, the table is filled with treats and intriguing objects. The glasses, jugs and plates look almost lifelike. 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200109354

When would you love to pause time for a moment? ⏳  The milkmaid is completely absorbed in her task. Nothing seems to move except the thin stream of milk flowing from the jug. 💙  👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200108369

Can you spot the artworks behind these blues? 💙 Feeling blue? Dive into our online collection and explore every shade of blue. Find, collect, compare… and feel the blues fade away.  👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/set/Blauw-blauw-blauw--92c12f6f-1e5c-41a4-dde0-08dd0f2c01a3

The swan’s head is thrust sharply forward, its beak open, its neck tense. At a quick glance, you see an animal that is alert and full of movement. Only when you look more closely do you see why: the swan is defending her nest against a dog. 🦢 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200108146

What’s your favourite kind of tulip? 🌷 This painting, filled with a lively bouquet of tulips, is one of Hans Bollongier’s most ambitious works. Among the flowers, the artist included a rare and expensive type of striped tulip with scalloped petals. 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200108261

What would you taste first at this table? 🧀🍇  🖼 Floris Claesz. van Dijck, Still Life with Cheese, c. 1615. Supported by the Vereniging Rembrandt and the Rijksmuseum-Stichting 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200109260

This set by Jean Baptiste Bonnard shows how refined the interplay could be between stones and settings around 1800. The large amethysts are cut in such a way that they reflect light optimally and bring out their deep purple colour to the fullest. ✨  👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200112596

What do you notice when you look at paint up close? 🎨🔍 👁️ Discover more: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection

Few 17th-century Dutch artists were as productive as he was. Born in Leiden, Jan van Goyen trained with several masters, but it was landscape painter Esaias van de Velde who shaped his direction most.  👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/node/Jan-van-Goyen--04d4b47b908b37e699c58f023ae8dcbb

What gives you a warm feeling on a cold day? ❄️ ☃️ 🖼 Wouter Johannes van Troostwijk, The Raampoortje in Amsterdam, 1809. On loan from the Koninklijk Oudheidkundig Genootschap  👁️ Discover more: https://id.rijksmuseu

How does this painting make you feel? 👀🫣 🖼 Attributed to Jan de Baen, The Corpses of the De Witt Brothers, c. 1672 - c. 1675   👁️ Discover more: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200108171

Did you know Rembrandt went through a decade of crisis? 🔍 In 1642, Rembrandt reached the height of his fame with The Night Watch. But in the same year, his private life collapsed... 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/node/Rembrandt-van-Rijn--ba2dc062acd137ffeac364321b7b10df

Which of these moustaches steals your heart? 〰️🤍 Across the centuries, the moustache has been a bold fashion statement, clear proof that facial hair never goes out of style.  👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/set/MOUSTACHES--0bb8a92c-d3e0-4968-64b7-08dd080d5563

What would you build out of snow? ☃️ A fresh layer of snow transformed Amsterdam into pure magic, turning our iconic surroundings into a postcard-perfect winter view. ❄️ 👁️ Get inspired: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/set/winter--d11fc598-ce99-4970-3bf8-08dcf1f6c598

It's winter in Amsterdam, and the bridge across the canal is bustling with people. The woman with a fur stole seems to be in a rush, and almost knocks into us. In fact, she's so close that she's slightly out of focus, as if we were looking through a camera… 📷 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200108317

Don’t worry, even the wisest among us can find our good intentions wobbling in practice. 😉 Painter and engraver Adriaen Matham made this pair of owls, dressed as humans, skating on the ice as an illustration of the proverb ‘Birds of a feather flock together’. 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20058995

Which gesture catches your eye first? ✋🔍 Hands often tell the story before anything else, from a gentle touch to a pointed gesture. They guide your eye, signal emotion, hint at status, or quietly suggest a relationship. 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection

Snowy days in Amsterdam ❄️ This weekend, the Rijksmuseum is covered in a true winter wonderland. 📸 Beautiful images by David Tuinzing 👁️ Visit the museum: https://f.mtr.cool/zjenwtvuam

Squawk! What name would you give this parrot? 🦜💚  🖼 Jan Havicksz. Steen, Interior with a Woman Feeding a Parrot, c. 1660 - c. 1670  👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20015865

A small glass, overflowing with abundance. In the 17th century, a bouquet like this one by Jan Brueghel would have felt almost impossibly luxurious, a rare gathering of precious flowers in one place.  👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20013287

Our best 9 posts of the year! Which post did you love the most? 🍾 As 2025 draws to a close, we want to say a heartfelt thank you for being part of our journey. Your comments and likes mean so much to us. We look forward to welcoming you again in the new year! ❤️ 👁️ www.rijksmuseum.nl/stories

What do you think of this flower still-life? 💐  In his new approach to flower still-lifes, Floris Verster put the emphasis no longer on creating lavish displays of exotic blossoms, but rather on portraying light and the natural process of growth and decay.   👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20058995

Where do you live? Have you had any snow yet? 🌨️ ☃️❄️  For this winter landscape, Dutch painter Barend Koekkoek chose a hilly region in Gelderland, a province in the eastern part of the Netherlands, or the German region of the Lower Rhine.   👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200111820

Meet the muff: a fuzzy tube of warmth, status, and secrets. Once a symbol of refinement, it wrapped hands in luxury and sometimes hid clever pockets (and the occasional rumoured lapdog). 🐾  👁️ Discover more: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/set/mof--e937f704-943c-496f-dd14-08dd0f2c01a3

In winter, with its short days and chilly evenings, we look for ways to keep our homes warm and bright. Throughout history, people have found all kinds of special ways to bring light into the darkness. 🔥🕯️ 👁️ https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/stories/10-things/story/lights-of-the-rijksmuseum