AMSTERDAM.- The Rijksmuseum is today publishing the most in-depth and comprehensive online overview of the work of painter and printmaker Hercules Segers (ca. 1589-1640). The release of the online catalogue The works by Hercules Segers in the Rijksmuseum means everyone can now access all the works by this remarkable 17th-century artist held in the Rijksmuseum collection in very high resolution, as well as all the related information and insights gained through research into them.

Jane Turner, Head of the Print Room: We are delighted to be able to offer permanent access to all of Segers’ works in our collection. Viewers can now lose themselves in super high-res images of the fantastical landscapes by this visionary artist.




Experimental artist
Hercules Segers is one of the most mysterious and experimental artists of the 17th century. His astounding mountain landscapes and breath-taking vistas are testimony to a boundless imagination. As a printmaker he was a true pioneer, developing techniques that were all his own to produce his colourful etchings. Segers’ work has fascinated and inspired many artists and poets over the centuries; Rembrandt owned no fewer than eight paintings by him.

Few works
Only a fairly small number of works by Segers have survived, and by far the majority of these – 74 etchings, two oil studies, and one painting – are to be found in the Rijksmuseum collection. They formed the core of the comprehensive survey exhibition of Hercules Segers’ work in 2016-2017, which was staged first in the Rijksmuseum and then at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

In-depth research
As part of preparations for the exhibition, in-depth art historical and technical research was carried out at the Rijksmuseum. It yielded vast improvements to our understanding of the artist’s life and work and the experimental techniques and materials he used, as well as more accurate dating of his etchings and paintings. The research findings were published in 2017 in the form of a new and comprehensive catalogue.

Online catalogue
The research and detailed descriptions of the 77 works in the Rijksmuseum form the basis of the online catalogue The Works by Hercules Segers in the Rijksmuseum. These entries are augmented with links to works by Segers in collections all over the world, as well as other relevant references. In short, this catalogue represents the most in-depth and comprehensive online overview of the work of this truly exceptional 17th-century artist.