Rijksmuseum Amsterdam MCP server for AI agents

The Rijksmuseum MCP Server enables AI models to explore, analyze, and interact with the Rijksmuseum's art collection through natural language. It provides tools for searching artworks, retrieving detailed information, accessing high-resolution images, exploring user collections, and analyzing artist timelines.

Features

Search Artworks

Search and filter artworks using various criteria:

Text-based search
Artist name
Artwork type
Materials and techniques
Time periods
Colors
And more

Artwork Details

Retrieve comprehensive information about specific artworks:

Basic details (title, artist, dates)
Physical properties
Historical context
Visual information
Curatorial information
Exhibition history

High-Resolution Images

Access high-resolution image data with deep zoom capabilities:

Multiple zoom levels
Tile-based image loading
Full resolution support
Position information

User Collections

Explore user-created collections:

Browse curated sets
View thematic groupings
Analyze collection patterns
Access detailed set information

Image Viewing

Open artwork images directly in your browser for detailed viewing.

Artist Timeline

Generate chronological timelines of artists' works:

Track artistic development
Analyze periods and styles
Study career progression

Installation

You can install this server in two ways:

Option 1: Using Claude Desktop with NPM Package

Update your Claude configuration file (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rijksmuseum-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-server-rijksmuseum"
      ],
      "env": {
        "RIJKSMUSEUM_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

You'll need to obtain an API key from the Rijksmuseum API Portal.

Option 2: From Source

Clone the repository
Install dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Copy the example environment file:
```
cp .env.example .env
```
Add your Rijksmuseum API key to the .env file:
```
RIJKSMUSEUM_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
```

Update your Claude configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rijksmuseum-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/rijksmuseum-server/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "RIJKSMUSEUM_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important notes:

Replace /path/to/rijksmuseum-server with the actual path to your installation
Add your Rijksmuseum API key in the env section
Restart Claude Desktop after updating the configuration

Configuration

The server can be configured through environment variables:

RIJKSMUSEUM_API_KEY: Your Rijksmuseum API key (required)
PORT: Server port (default: 3000)
LOG_LEVEL: Logging level (default: 'info')

Usage Examples

Here are some example queries you can ask the AI when using this server:

Artwork Discovery

"Show me all paintings by Rembrandt from the 1640s"
"Find artworks that prominently feature the color blue"
"What are the most famous masterpieces in the collection?"
"Search for still life paintings from the Dutch Golden Age"

Artwork Analysis

"Tell me everything about The Night Watch"
"What are the dimensions and materials used in Van Gogh's Self Portrait?"
"Show me high-resolution details of the brushwork in Vermeer's The Milkmaid"
"Compare the colors used in different versions of The Potato Eaters"

Artist Research

"Create a timeline of Rembrandt's self-portraits"
"How did Van Gogh's use of color evolve throughout his career?"
"Show me all works by Frans Hals in chronological order"
"What techniques did Jan Steen use in his paintings?"

Thematic Exploration

"Find all artworks depicting biblical scenes"
"Show me paintings of Amsterdam in the 17th century"
"What artworks feature flowers or still life arrangements?"
"Find portraits that include musical instruments"

Collection Analysis

"Show me the most popular user-curated collections"
"Find sets that focus on landscape paintings"
"What are the recent additions to the museum's collection?"
"Show me collections featuring works from multiple artists"

Visual Details

"Let me examine the details in the background of The Night Watch"
"Show me a close-up of the jewelry in Girl with a Pearl Earring"
"Can you display the highest resolution version of The Jewish Bride?"
"I want to study the facial expressions in The Syndics"

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "rijksmuseum-server" '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","mcp-server-rijksmuseum"],"env":{"RIJKSMUSEUM_API_KEY":"your_api_key_here"}}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "rijksmuseum-server": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "mcp-server-rijksmuseum"
            ],
            "env": {
                "RIJKSMUSEUM_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
            }
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "rijksmuseum-server": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "mcp-server-rijksmuseum"
            ],
            "env": {
                "RIJKSMUSEUM_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
            }
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect