Europeana’s Open Culture app (download it now!) showcases some great collections that introduce you to Europe’s cultural heritage. Last week, we highlighted one of the app’s five themes – ‘Treasures of the Past’. Today, it’s all about ‘Treasures of Art’.

The ‘Treasures of Art’ theme of the Europeana Open Culture app comes from the Rijksmuseum. You can explore over 120,000 items from their collections. This is exactly what I’ve been doing and I’d like to share a few of the things I’ve found with you. I’m sure you’ll have your own favourites – let me know by leaving a comment on this blog.

What I love about this collection is that it is so diverse, from masterpieces to sketches and from high art to miniature silver figures. And because the Rijksmuseum gives us high quality files to view and use, you can explore a big image and get right into every detail. My personal favourites are the sketches and studies. I think they show the person behind the art – they help us to understand the artist’s thought processes and to find out what concerned them. I love the scribbles on note paper and page after page of drawings in sketch books. They make me feel like a fly on a wall in an artist’s studio.

If you like the glimpse this blog gives you of ‘Treasures of Art’, then download the Europeana Open Culture app and discover even more.

Image credits

‘Noord-Hollands meisje’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Tekenaar schetsend in de ruïne van Brederode’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Studie van een rechterarm en hand op een wijde mouw’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Landschap met de Intocht van Christus in Jerusalem‘, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘De astronnom’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Kop van een koe’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Hooiwagen’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Zittende man met glas en pijp’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Drie gratiën’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Boomhagedis’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Scharenslijper van zilver’, Rijksmuseum, public domain

‘Tulp en een papaver’, Rijksmuseum, public domain