Websites of Museums with Vermeer Paintings in their Collections

By now, almost any self-respecting art institution has digitized some part of its collection. However, the design of the typical "virtual museum" frequently fails to rise above the level of a database intended more for administrative purposes. The artworks are often shown at low resolution if not in thumbnail format, precluding any meaningful experience on the part of internet navigators. Some museums have attempted to reach a wider audience by including custom-made content via some innovative presentation form.^{Peter Gorgels, "Rijksstudio: Make Your Own Masterpiece!," MW2013: Museums and the Web 2013, The annual conference of Museums and the Web | April 17–20, 2013 | Portland, OR, http://mw2013.museumsandtheweb.com/paper/rijksstudio-make-your-own-masterpiece/} Others have assumed a wait-and-see attitude.

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What is certain is that digitalization, which can no longer be postponed, raises existential questions for art institutions. How will the elevated costs of digitalization be recovered? Why go to a museum if you can enjoy the same artworks at your leisure on the nearest computer monitor? By overexposing works of art, will their "aura" be diminished, as Walter Benjamin predicted? Will paintings become "marketing instruments" in the hands of powerful museums? Furthermore, some institutions feel that the loss of the economic control over their intellectual property assets will erode their unquestioned authority as the custodians of the cultural value of the objects they possess and as gatekeepers of authenticity.

The most recent development in digital strategy of artworks of the past is the Open Content Project policy pioneered by the Rijksmuseum, the Getty and the Washington National Gallery of Art. These forward-looking institutions provide not only free access to high-quality images of the objects in their collections of a level unthinkable only a few years ago, but have lifted any copyright restrictions whatsoever in the hopes of encouraging engagement of the general public with art and stimulating contemporary artistic production.

In regards to the Open Content Project recently launched by the Getty, CEO Jim Cuno stated "The Getty was founded on the conviction that understanding art makes the world a better place, and sharing our digital resources is the natural extension of that belief," Thus, the move to offer high-quality images of their artworks free of copyright and fee is "an educational imperative. Artists, students, teachers, writers, and countless others rely on artwork images to learn, tell stories, exchange ideas, and feed their own creativity." In any case, there is little doubt that technological innovation is reshaping the role and mission of museums as producers and distributors digital images exposing them contemporarily to threats and opportunities which are only now coming into view.

Almost all of the institutions which house one or more Vermeer paintings have a website in which their Vermeer works are represented in some way. Some have allotted low quality images and minimum information while other, such as the Rijksmuseum, the Metropolitan of New York and the National Gallery of Washington provide navigators with in-depth information and spectacular high-resolution digital images. Furthermore, a few museum website few provide innovative tools for exploring art history such as timelines and essays on special topics. These sites have been signaled with four or five stars.

It is now possible to download, free of charge digital images of an increasing number of Vermeer paintings.

part 1
Rijksmuseum	Amsterdam, Netherlands
New York Metropolitan Museum of Art	New York, U.S.A.
National Gallery of Art	Washington D.C., U.S.A.
National Gallery	London, England
part 2
Mauritshuis	The Hague
Frick Collection	New York, U.S.A.
Musée du Louvre	Paris, France
Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Gemäldegalerie	Berlin, Germany
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Gemäldegalerie	Dresden, Germany
Städelsches Kunstinstitut	Frankfurt am Main, Germany
part 3
Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum	Brunswick, Germany
Kunsthistorisches Museum	Vienna, Austria
National Gallery of Ireland	Dublin, Ireland
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (n.g.)	Boston, U.S.A.
Kenwood House	London, England
The Royal Collection, Buckingham Palace	London, England
National Gallery of Scotland	Edinburgh, Scotland
The Leiden Collection	New York, U.S.A.

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HERZOG ANTON ULRICH-MUSEUM

museum home page: https://3landesmuseen-braunschweig.de/herzog-anton-ulrich-museum

The Museum houses the fourth largest picture gallery of Old Masters in Germany, along with sculptures, and artwork from the ancient world to the early modern age, as well as a collection of prints (Kupferstichkabinett) with works from the Middle Ages to the present day. Established in 1754 by Duke Charles I of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, it is one of the oldest museums in Europe. The Museum was named after Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg (German: Herzog Anton Ulrich von Braunschweig-Lüneburg), who was one of the most passionate art collectors of the seventeenth century. It is known for its extensive collection of European art, ranging from the Middle Ages to modern times. The collection includes approximately four thousandpaintings and sculptures, more than 100,000 prints and drawings, and an extensive collection of decorative art.

It is particularly renowned for its collection of Dutch and Flemish art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, featuring works by masters such as Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jan Brueghel the Elder. The museum also has a notable collection of Italian Renaissance paintings, as well as German artwork from the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Among the Museum's online features is the Blog, and a few videos—including Vermeer's Girl with a Glass of Wine—all of which, unfortunately, are in German only. Although this exquisite collection cannot rival the few major collections where most Vermeer paintings are housed, the only thing it offers to the navigator is a zoomable image of Vermeer's painting, which however, is scarcely worth the trouble to find it. No other information about the picture is available. Moreover, there seems to be no way to search the Museum's collection, a lacuna perhaps unique among today's art institutions.

The Museum collaborates with Google Art Project.

Thanks to the 2008 and 2013 renovations, the special exhibition area has more than doubled and can present changing exhibitions on 900 m².

Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum Information

• location: Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Kunstmuseum des Landes Niedersachsen Museumstr. 1, D-38100 Braunschweig
• opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m., closed on Mondays
• tickets: adults €9.00, reduced €7.00, children (6-17 years) €2.00 (booking service)
• contact: tel +49 0531 / 12 25 24 09 | telefax +49 0531 / 12 25 24 08
• email: info.haum@3landesmuseen.de
• newsletter: click here
• http://kulturerbe.niedersachsen.de/viewer/kultureinrichtungen/isil_DE-MUS-026819/
• social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter
  Planning a trip to Brusnwick? Click here.

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THE KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM

museum home page: http://www.khm.at/en/

The Kunsthistorisches Museum's magnificent architecture creates a fitting setting for the artistic treasures assembled by the Habsburgs. The collections of the Museum are amongst the most important and spectacular in the world. The 16th-century Kunst- und Wunderkammer (art and treasure chambers) of Archduke Ferdinand and of Emperor Rudolph II, together with the baroque collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, form the nucleus of the Museum's magnificent collections, in which the taste and artistic preferences of these and other connoisseurs of the Imperial Family are still discernible today, thus conveying a sense of the Imperial glory of the art-loving Habsburg dynasty.

Some of the most notable pieces in the Picture Gallery include works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Caravaggio, Titian, Raphael, and Rembrandt. The world's largest Bruegel collection is one of the most moving assemblies of pictures in any art institution and alone is worth a trip to Vienna for an art lover.

The collection houses one of Vermeer's key works, The Art of Painting.

Kunsthistorisches Museum Information

• location: Picture Gallery Kunsthistorisches Museum, 1st Floor, A-1010 Vienna, Maria Theresien Platz
• opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Information about particular closing days: Tel. (+43 1) 525 24/403, 404, 407, 365. Please enquire as to which collections are partly or wholly closed because of renovations.
• tickets: adult € 21,00, senior citizen € 18,00, student € 18,00, other discounts € 18,00 (Children and teens under 19 years have free admission.) Tickets may be purchased online.
• contact: tel. (+43 1) 525 24-0, fax: (+43 1) 525 24-503
• email: info@khm.at
• info@khm.at, ticket@khm.at, kunstvermittlung@khm.at, feedback@khm.at
• social media: Facebook Instagram
  Planning a trip to Vienna? Click here.

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THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF IRELAND

museum home page:http://www.nationalgallery.ie

The Gallery was established by an act of parliament in 1854 and opened to the public in 1864. It houses an impressive collection that spans European art history from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the artists represented are Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and Vermeer. It is also home to the National Portrait Collection, which spans over 500 years. The Gallery has an extensive, representative collection of Irish painting and is also notable for its Italian Baroque and Dutch masters painting. The collection includes Vermeer's magnificent Woman Writing a Letter with her Maid.

National Gallery of Ireland Information

• location: National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square West, Dublin 2
• opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30 a.m.–5.30 p.m. Thursday 9.30 a.m.–8.30 p.m. Sunday 12 p.m.–5.30 p.m. Closed Good Friday, 24–26 December
• tickets: Admission to the permanent collection is free. Entry to exhibition galleries and shop ceases 15 minutes before Gallery closing time.
• contact: tel. +353-1-661 5133 fax. +353 1 661 5372
• email: info@ngi.ie
• social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter
  Planning a trip to Dublin? Click here.

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ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM

museum home page: http://www.gardnermuseum.org/

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is at once an intimate collection of fine and decorative art and a vibrant, innovative venue for contemporary artists, musicians, and scholars. Housed in a stunning fifteenth-century Venetian-style palace with three stories of galleries surrounding a sun- and flower-filled courtyard, the Museum provides an unusual backdrop for the viewing of art. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's preeminent collection contains more than 2,500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, manuscripts, rare books, and decorative arts. The galleries house works by some of the most recognized artists in the world, including Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Manet, Degas, Whistler, and Sargent. The spirit of the architecture, the personal character of the arrangements, and the artistic display of the enchanting courtyard in full bloom all create an atmosphere that distinguishes the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum as an intimate and culturally-rich treasure.

The collection once housed Vermeer's Concert, which however was stolen on March 18, 1990 and has not been recovered since. If you have any information regarding this theft, please report it to the F.B.I. Art Theft Program. More information can be found by clicking here.

from the gallery website:

In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, thieves dressed as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and stole 13 works of art.

Anne Hawley, director of the Gardner Museum says, "These rare and important treasures of art need to be returned to the Gardner Museum so that they can be enjoyed again by the public. While people often talk about the monetary value of art, the value of these objects goes far beyond dollars and cents. These masterpieces have the power to inspire thinking and creativity, two processes essential to a civil society. Isabella Stewart Gardner, this museum's founder, understood that when she left them 'for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.'"

A reward of $5 million is offered for information leading to the return of the works of art in good condition. Please contact the museum's Director of Security Anthony Amore, at 617 278 5114, theft@isgm.org, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 617 742 5533.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Information

• location: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
• opening hours: Monday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Tuesday: closed, Wednesday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Thursday: 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.: Saturday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (Galleries begin closing at 4:45 p.m.) | Open the following holidays: New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
• tickets: adults: $20, seniors: 65 and up: $18, students: $13, children under age 18: free, members: free | Purchase tickets online here.
• contact: tel: (617)566-1401
  fax: (617)278-5167
  email: Information@isgm.org
  
  
• visitor services and mailing address: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2 Palace Road, Boston, MA 02115 (617)278-5166
• social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter

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KENWOOD HOUSE English Heritage as Trustees of the Iveagh Bequest

museum home page: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenwood/

Set in splendid grounds beside Hampstead Heath, this outstanding neoclassical house holds one of the most important collections of paintings ever given to the nation. Works by Rembrandt, Turner, Reynolds, and Gainsborough all hang against a backdrop of sumptuous rooms. The house also contains paintings from the Suffolk Collection, with magnificent full-length portraits by William Larkin and Royal Stuart images by Van Dyck and Lely. The collection houses Vermeer's late and excellently conserved Guitar Player.

Visitors may wish to take time to enjoy the tranquility of Kenwood. As well as visiting the house, relax in the extensive lakeside gardens or explore the meandering pathways and woodland, featuring sculptures by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Pause to admire the wonderful views of London and enjoy the magnificent scenery, which is peppered with ancient oaks and is home to a variety of wildlife. Admission is free.

• location: Kenwood House, Hampstead Lane, NW3, London
• train access: Hampstead Heath 1½ miles; Archway and Golders Green Tube, then the 210 bus, or Highgate 1 mile
• bus access: LT service 210 q Finsbury Park - Golders Green (020 7222 1234)
• opening hours: 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day of the week ? | 24–26 Dec and 1 Jan Closed
• contact: tel. 0370 333 1181
• social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter

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THE BUCKINGHAM PALACE: THE ROYAL COLLECTION

museum home page: https://www.rct.uk/

Shaped by the personal tastes of kings and queens over more than 500 years, the Royal Collection includes paintings, drawings, and watercolors, furniture, ceramics, clocks, silver, sculpture, jewelry, books, manuscripts, prints and maps, arms and armor, fans, and textiles. It is held in trust by The Queen as Sovereign for her successors and the Nation, and is not owned by her as a private individual.

Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. It evolved from a town house that was owned from the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Dukes of Buckingham. Today it is The Queen's official residence, with 775 rooms. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are opened to visitors on a regular basis.

The State Rooms of the Palace are open to visitors during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September. They are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection—paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto, and Claude; sculpture by Canova and Chantrey; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.

The Royal Collection Information

The Music Lesson is frequently inaccessible to the general public. If you intend to travel expressly to see this work, ALWAYS contact the museum personnel beforehand.

• Buckingham Palace State Apartments: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=30
• ticket information: Clcik here
• tel: (+44) (0)20 7766 7300
• fax: (+44) (0)20 7930 9625
• email: booking info@royalcollection.org.uk
• opening hours: The Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will be 27 July–29 September, 2010. Further dates may be added.
• newsletter: receive updates about admission details, please register for the Royal Collection e-newsletter.
• email: pictures@royalcollection.org.uk
• social media: Facebook Instagram
  Planning a trip to London? Click here.

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NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND

museum home page: http://www.nationalgalleries.org

Opened to the public in 1859, the National Gallery of Scotland is situated in the heart of Edinburgh and is home to Scotland's greatest collection of European paintings and sculpture from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism, one of the very finest galleries of its size in the world. As well as housing the national collection of work by Scottish artists, the Gallery also has some 20,000 drawings, prints, and watercolors, with a Print Room open to the public by appointment. An active exhibitions program both from the permanent collections and major international loan exhibitions. The gallery is complemented by the recent completion of the Playfair Project which has provided a specialist exhibition venue in the Royal Scottish Academy Building and the new facilities center, the Weston Link Building.

The Museum houses an outstanding collection of paintings, drawings, and prints by the greatest artists from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism, including Velázquez, El Greco, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Constable, Monet, and Van Gogh; shown alongside the national collection of Scottish art.

The collection houses Vermeer's early religious work, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary.

National Gallery of Scotland Information

• location: The National Gallery of Scotland is on The Mound, right in the heart of Edinburgh, on Princes Street.opening
• hours: open daily 10–5 p.m., Thursdays until 7 p.m.
• festive period opening hours: Closed 25 and 26 December only. Open 1 January from 12 noon-5 p.m.
• tickets: Admission is free. A charge may be made for special exhibitions.
• contact: For general enquiries regarding your visit or Gallery services. +44 (0)131 624 6200
• email: enquiries@nationalgalleries.org
• social media: Facebook Instagram
  Planning a trip to Edinburg? Click here.

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THE LEIDEN COLLECTION

collection home page: http://www.theleidencollection.com/

The Leiden Collection website features an online catalogue and provides an exhaustive overview of the Collection, scholarly entries of 175 paintings and drawings, artist biographies, as well as essays about major painters from Leiden featured in the Collection. It includes exceptional works by first-rate Dutch artists such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Gerrit Dou, and Frans van Mieris.

The Leiden Collection Information