The Prado Museum in Madrid and Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum have joined forces to restore women’s memory in art. The two major European galleries are pooling their efforts to revisit the shared history between Spain and the Netherlands and to give women artists, patrons and other key figures the prominence they have always deserved in their galleries.
The centrepiece of this agreement is an international research fellowship, which will launch in 2027. The aim is to delve into the collections and shed light on women’s roles during the Habsburg era, with findings feeding into upcoming projects at both museums and culminating in a major exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in 2029.
This move consolidates the path both institutions had already begun to follow separately. On the one hand, the “El Prado en Femenino” initiative, which has returned the spotlight to figures such as Clara Peeters and Sofonisba Anguissola, two of the most important painters in European art history, is now preparing an exhibition on Mariana of Austria for this autumn.
On the other hand, the “Women of the Rijksmuseum” project has, since 2021, analysed hundreds of works and added to its catalogue works by previously overlooked artists such as Gesina ter Borch, Maria van Oosterwijck and Marlow Moss.
Key facts about the postdoctoral fellowship
- Call for applications: The selection process opens in October 2026.
- Start of the programme: September 2027.
- Scope of research: Study of the Prado Museum and Rijksmuseum collections on the role of women in the Habsburg period.
- Final project: The selected researcher will play an active role in the major exhibition on this theme that the Amsterdam museum will host in 2029.
