Masterpiece by Maria van Oosterwijck takes Centre Stage in Rijksmuseum’s Gallery of Honour

Masterpiece by Maria van Oosterwijck takes Centre Stage in Rijksmuseum’s Gallery of Honour

The #Rijksmuseum is displaying a recently acquired still life by Maria van Oosterwijck in the Gallery of Honour from today. Maria van #Oosterwijck, one of the most important Dutch women painters of the 17th century, is renowned for her flower still lifes. The Rijksmuseum had the opportunity to acquire this painting in 2023. The religious connotations of the work make it one of the artist’s most deeply personal works. For Van Oosterwijck, the still life was a testament to her unwavering faith.

After acquiring the painting, the Rijksmuseum examined and restored it. The masterpiece will be presented for the first time in the museum on 4 March 2025, prior to the Women in the Museum symposium. The acquisition was made possible through support from the Friends’ Lottery (Vriendenloterij) and the Women of the Rijksmuseum Fund.

“Paintings by Maria van Oosterwijck are exceptionally rare because of the limited body of work that she left to posterity. Only some 30 works by the artist have survived to the present day, and this acquisition means that two are now in Dutch ownership. We are delighted that, with this painting, we can offer her the place of honour that she deserves”, Taco Dibbits, General Director Rijksmuseum.

Maria van Oosterwijck 

Maria van Oosterwijck (1630 through 1693) is one of the most important female Dutch painters of the 17th century, alongside Judith Leyster and Rachel Ruysch. She was one of the few 17th century Dutch artists to achieve international fame for flower still lifes during her lifetime. Her impressive roster of clients included the “Sun King” Louis XIV of France, King Jan III Sobieski of Poland, Cosimo III de’ #Medici of Tuscany, and Emperor Leopold of Austria. Van Oosterwijck left a relatively small oeuvre, perhaps due to her approach to painting: one contemporary wrote that she took her time with her paintings because of the «neatness and elaborateness« of her painting practice. 

Vanitas 

Van Oosterwijck specialised in flower still lifes, and a bouquet of flowers has a central role in the recently acquired “vanitas” painting, a work of art that urges the viewer to reflect on the vanity of worldly life in the light of approaching death. She depicted a variety of other objects in the painting, including a Bible, a skull, a jewellery box and two tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. These elements convey profound religious significance, and the work occupies a crucial place in her body of work. The artist grew up in a devout environment – both her father and her grandfather were church ministers – and according to a contemporary she was “extraordinarily religious” herself. It is notable that Van Oosterwijck explains the meaning of the picture on the sheet of paper in the foreground. 

Research and restoration

The painting underwent detailed examination following its purchase in 2023, revealing that Van Oosterwijck made an exceptionally large number of changes during the painting process. Examples of these changes include her overpainting of an hourglass and of a fully completed snake crawling in through the opening in the wall. Once the research was completed, restoration began. This process included the removal of yellowed varnish and overpainting from earlier restorations. The painting has now been returned, as close as possible, to its original state. 

The Women of the Rijksmuseum research project 

The aim of the Women of the Rijksmuseum research project and eponymous fund is to increase, on a permanent basis, the visibility of women in the collection and display. Since 2021 a multidisciplinary team has been cataloguing, researching and presenting stories of women in the collection, as well as acquiring new work. “Chanel” joined the project as a partner on 8 March 2023. Outcomes of the Women of the Rijksmuseum research project in recent years include: 

The annual Women in the Museum symposium, whose theme this year is Fabric of Fame. This symposium is supported by “#Chanel”.  

Acquisitions of work by artists including Gesina ter Borch, Aleijda Wolfsen, Maria Sibylla Merian, Johanna Koerten, Marlow Moss, George Sand, Bertha E. Jacques, Carrie Mae Weems and Thèrése Schwartze. 

Books, including Geesje and Anna. The World of Breitner’s Famous Models (2024) by Jenny Reynaerts (only available in Dutch). 

Exhibitions, including “Barbara Hepworth in the Rijksmuseum Gardens” (2022), “Women on Paper” (2022 through 2023), “Point of View” (2024) and “Carrie Mae Weems. Painting the Town” (2025). More …