Closer to Johannes Vermeer

In 2023, the Rijksmuseum has the largest number of Vermeer paintings ever on display. Especially for this retrospective, we made a high-quality online exhibition of all Vermeer works with the museum and design partner Fabrique, narrated by Stephen Fry.

Virtual exhibition
To support the largest Vermeer overview ever, the Rijksmuseum also wanted to develop a virtual exhibition, comparable to the interactive web experience we had previously created around Rembrandt's Night Watch. The online exploration of Vermeer's work and life should be just as impressive as the exhibition in the museum. And all this within the existing Rijksmuseum website that we built two years earlier. A perfect job for our ultra-resolution storytelling tool Micrio!

More Vermeers online than in the museum
In other experiences, such as Garden of Earthly Delights, we have always focused on one individual work. After an initial feasibility study, we opted for an overview for this purpose of Closer to Johannes Vermeer. Vermeer left behind a remarkably small oeuvre. There are only 37 works known from him. Tranquil, introverted scenes full of convincing illusionism. The Vermeer special shows all these 37 paintings in hi-res images. In addition to the 28 works in the exhibition, the other nine paintings attributed to Vermeer are also included. So, more Vermeers can be admired online than in the museum itself!

Ultra-res photos
The 37 paintings in the Vermeer experience are all placed next to each other in the visitor's web browser. Several paintings can be viewed at an ultra high resolution of 5 microns (digitization resolution). That is as detailed as the photo of The Night Watch that the Rijksmuseum published earlier. As a result, paintings by Vermeer can also be zoomed in so far that the minute pigment particles in the paint become razor-sharp. And all without compromising performance, not even on mobile.

Online tours by Stephen Fry and Joy Delima
The online exhibition uses movement and specific cut-outs to juxtapose the paintings in different ways, allowing visitors to discover the painter's themes. Recurring objects such as pearls, curtains, wall maps, but also the same incidence of light come to the fore. In addition, you will also discover the different emotions of stillness and wonder in the groups of paintings. From the first moment, the movement provides a telling story, in which the user interface quickly fades into the background. You can wander through the virtual exhibition yourself or let yourself be guided by the British actor Stephen Fry and the Dutch actress Joy Delima, who have recorded the English and Dutch tour respectively. For each painting they tell a story full of details and interesting facts.

Do it yourself
Visitors can also compare paintings themselves, look for similarities and details in Vermeer's work and thus create and share their own Vermeer story. We have made it possible to effortlessly arrange the grid with the 37 paintings or to create your own collection. All by fully investing in the most powerful features of our Micrio viewer.