RKD

As a primary source of information on works of art, images of works, and art books, magazines and articles, the RKD has long been a household word among Dutch art historians, museum professionals and art lovers. But it also possesses a significant collection of materials related to craft, applied art and contemporary design deemed to be of national importance.

For instance, the RKD’s Archival Collection manages and maintains the archives of the furniture and interior designer Frits Spanjaard, Jac. van den Bosch and My Home/Bas van Pelt; silver and jewellery makers As. Bonebakker & Zoon; the Gerrit Rietveld Academie; and the Association of Dutch Designers. It recently took on eight new archives, of which several are already open to the public. To see a list of the RKD’s design archives, search its Central Register of Design Archives (CRDa) database with “RKD” in the “Repository” field (content is not yet available in English).

RKDartists&, a database of information on individual artists, is the backbone of the RKD’s database system and the main interface with its physical collection. The RKD also operates additional databases containing scholarly artistic and cultural-historical information on external collections and objects. The Central Register of Design Archives (CRDa) is one of these. It provides data on the locations and content of design-related archives. It also supplies information on designers, agencies, companies and galleries via RKDartists&.

The RKD, frequently consulted by art historians and others with a professional or personal interest in art, is one of the world's main centres of art-historic knowledge. The RKD maintains a unique collection of archival, documentary and library materials related to western art from the late Middle Ages to the present. Dutch art occupies an important place. The RKD pursues an active collection policy with respect to paintings, drawings and sculptures as well as monumental art, modern media and design.