Report from Sarah Kleiner, Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, Den Haag, the Netherlands
At the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, Sarah Kleiner examines a painting from the Gallery of Willem V, which was established in 1774 by Prince Willem V of Orange-Nassau and became the first public museum in the Netherlands.
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3:16 p.m., Aug. 21, 2009----I am currently participating in a 10-week summer internship in paintings conservation, funded by The Samuel H. Kress Foundation, at the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in Den Haag, the Netherlands. The collection includes masterpieces by artists such as Johannes Vermeer (1632-75), Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69), and Jan Steen (1626-79).

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Most of the paintings I am examining and treating this summer ordinarily hang in the museum's Gallery of Willem V, which is currently undergoing renovation. The gallery was established in 1774 by Prince Willem V of Orange-Nassau and became the first public museum in the Netherlands. The exhibition space will reopen its doors to the public at the end of 2009.

While the works of art are off display, they are being carefully surveyed, examined and restored when necessary to look after their long-term care and preservation. The Conservation Department at the Mauritshuis has a special focus on technical art history, using the latest technologies to discover information regarding artists' techniques. One highlight of my experience working in the Netherlands has been visiting the many museums in the area, which range from collections of old master paintings, art in-situ in cathedrals and historic homes, and modern and contemporary art museums.

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