📌Overview

Purpose: The Rijksmuseum MCP Server aims to provide accessible interaction with the Rijksmuseum's collection through natural language queries, enabling exploration and analysis of artworks.

Overview: This Model Context Protocol server facilitates AI-driven access to the extensive collection of the Rijksmuseum, allowing users to search for, analyze, and gather detailed information on artworks and artists in a conversational manner.

Key Features:

Search Artworks (search_artwork): Enables users to search and filter artworks by various criteria such as artist name, type, materials, and time periods to facilitate targeted discovery.
Artwork Details (get_artwork_details): Provides in-depth information about specific artworks including physical properties, historical context, and exhibition history to enhance user understanding and appreciation.
High-Resolution Images (get_artwork_image): Grants access to high-resolution images with deep zoom capabilities, allowing for detailed visual analysis of artwork elements.
User Collections (get_user_sets & get_user_set_details): Allows exploration of user-curated collections, supporting thematic analysis and personal engagement with the art.
Image Viewing (open_image_in_browser): Offers a convenient way to view artwork images directly in a browser for better inspection.
Artist Timeline (get_artist_timeline): Generates timelines of artists' works to track their artistic evolution and styles over time.

Rijksmuseum MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides access to the Rijksmuseum's collection through natural language interactions. It enables AI models to explore, analyze, and interact with artworks and collections from the Rijksmuseum.

Features

The server provides several tools for interacting with the Rijksmuseum's collection:

1. Search Artworks (`search_artwork`)

Search and filter artworks using various criteria including:

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

2. Artwork Details (`get_artwork_details`)

Retrieve comprehensive information about specific artworks, including:

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

3. High-Resolution Images (`get_artwork_image`)

Access high-resolution image data with deep zoom capabilities:

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

4. User Collections (`get_user_sets` & `get_user_set_details`)

Explore user-created collections:

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

5. Image Viewing (`open_image_in_browser`)

Open artwork images directly in your browser for detailed viewing.

6. Artist Timeline (`get_artist_timeline`)

Generate chronological timelines of artists' works:

Track artistic development
Analyze periods and styles
Study career progression

Example Use Cases

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

Getting Started

You can install this server in two ways:

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 can get an API key from the Rijksmuseum API Portal: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/docs/api/

2. From Source

Clone this 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
```

Then 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"
      }
    }
  }
}

Make sure to replace /path/to/rijksmuseum-server with the actual path to your installation and add your Rijksmuseum API key in the env section.

After updating the configuration, restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

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')

API Documentation

For detailed information about the Rijksmuseum API endpoints used by this server, visit:
https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/object-metadata/api/

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or create issues for bugs and feature requests.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

rijksmuseum-mcp