RKD Research

The RKD Research website functions as a comprehensive, specialized reference engine for historical exploration into the visual arts, focusing predominantly on the Low Countries within an international context. The platform unifies nine distinct databases—including RKDartists for biographical profiles, RKDimages and RKDimages Lite for millions of artwork reproductions, and dedicated sections for RKDlibrary, RKDarchives, and Marks on Art. Key features include text-based and visual search tools that allow users to query the index using an image, alongside Linked Open Data capabilities for academic tracking. Tailored for museum curators, academic researchers, art historians, dealers, and students, the platform offers immense practical value by digitizing massive visual document archives previously restricted to physical study rooms, thereby enabling global users to freely study, cross-reference, and authenticate historical artworks remotely.