Tamar van Riessen (She/Her)

I am a PhD-candidate in Art History and Visual Culture at the University of Exeter, supervised by Dr Meredith Hale and Dr Yue Zhuang. My doctoral research examines the paintings of the Dutch painter Pieter van Roestraten (1630–1700), who migrated to London in the 1660s. The project, titled Pieter van Roestraten (1630-1700) and the Global Table. Anglo-Dutch Exchange in the late Seventeenth Century, investigates how Van Roestraten’s still lifes engage with questions of power and trade in the late seventeenth century, situating his practice within the broader Anglo-Dutch artistic and economic networks of the period.

Awards:

• The Wolfson Foundation Scholarship, 2025-2028
• The Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars Award, 2025

Alongside my doctoral research, I currently work as Assistant Curator of Old Masters at Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden. From 2023 to 2025, I was the Junior Curator of 17th-Century Dutch Painting. During my tenure, I co-curated the landmark exhibition Frans Hals (2024), organised in collaboration with The National Gallery and the Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. For the Rijksmuseum at Schiphol Airport, I independently curated the exhibitions Female Power (2021–22) and Setting the Table (2023–24). I have also held positions at Christie's, Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, and Museum Van Loon.

I am actively involved in several professional networks and committees. I currently serve as a Vetting Assistant for Old Master Paintings at TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair) and as a Board Member of the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. I am also a Member of the IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) Committee for the Historians of Netherlandish Art and a Member of the Website Committee for CODART, the international network for curators of Dutch and Flemish art.