Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Welcomes New Curators for Drawings Collection
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has announced the appointment of two new curators for its prestigious drawings collection. Maud van Suylen and Austėja Mackelaitė will be joining the Print Room team, reinforcing the museum's dedication to its significant collection of works on paper. Maud van Suylen began her role on November 1, 2022, while Austėja Mackelaitė is set to start on January 1, 2023.
Strengthening a World-Class Collection
This double appointment highlights the Rijksmuseum’s focus on the research, preservation, and display of its renowned drawings. Both specialists bring expertise in 16th- and 17th-century drawings, crucial for managing one of the world's leading collections in this field.
Meet the New Curators
Maud van Suylen's Background
Maud van Suylen, who previously served as an Academic Researcher at the Rijksmuseum's Print Room, has a strong foundation in art history from VU University Amsterdam. Her experience includes cataloguing Dutch and Flemish drawings at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and working as a Junior Curator at the Fondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt. She has also curated notable exhibitions such as Enfants du Siècle d’Or and the Rijksmuseum’s own XXL Paper.
Austėja Mackelaitė's Expertise
Austėja Mackelaitė, originally from Lithuania, brings international experience from her role as Assistant Curator of Drawings and Prints at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York. Her academic background includes art history studies at the Courtauld Institute of Art and the University of Oxford, with research focusing on 16th-century Dutch artists and Roman sculpture. Mackelaitė has also contributed to exhibitions at institutions like the Harvard Art Museum, the British Museum, and the National Gallery of Art, curating Hans Holbein: Capturing Character in 2022.
About the Rijksmuseum Print Room
The Print Room at the Rijksmuseum houses one of the top five global collections of works on paper, comprising over 700,000 items. It is particularly known for its extensive 17th-century prints and drawings from an international perspective. In recent years, the collection has also grown to include a representative overview of 20th-century Dutch prints and drawings, alongside important 19th- and 20th-century photography. A dedicated team of twelve art historians manages this vast and diverse collection.
These new appointments signify a continued commitment to the scholarly study and public presentation of the Rijksmuseum’s invaluable collection of drawings. Visitors to Musemap (musemap.art) can explore more about the Rijksmuseum and other cultural highlights in Amsterdam, find other museums in the city, or discover what exhibitions are currently on.
