Water on display case of seventeenth-century works, and Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum closes exhibition at airport

It has come to an end, at least temporarily, the adventure of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum at the Dutch capital’sSchiphol Airport, where the large museum, since September, had brought a small exhibition of ten paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, titled Dutch masterpieces at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol(we had talked about it here). Problems with water seepage from the airport’s roofs, encountered during some work, in fact led to the closure of the exhibition: the leaks also affected the showcases where the works were displayed.

Fortunately, the showcases withstood and the water did not affect the paintings. However, for safety reasons, the museum management decided to close the exhibition prematurely. The museum, meanwhile, issued a statement saying that “the Rijksmuseum will temporarily close its exhibition at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Work on the Holland Boulevard roof will take longer than planned. The decision was made following an infiltration that, however, did not cause damage to any artwork. In a consultation with Amsterdam Schiphol Aeroporot, the Rijksmuseum decided to temporarily remove the ten 17th-century works until the work is completed. It is expected that they will be able to return to the exhibition this summer.”

Still, the incident raises serious questions about the appropriateness of bringing ancient masterpieces into unusual settings that are often ill-equipped to deal with problems that could undermine the works’ safety.

Pictured: an image from the exhibition.

Water on display case of seventeenth-century works, and Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum closes exhibition at airport

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