Rijksmuseum Images API

openapi: 3.2.0
info:
  title: Rijksmuseum Collection Images API
  version: 1.0.0
  description: "The Rijksmuseum Collection API exposes the Dutch national museum's collection\nof more than 800,000 object records (with public-domain web images for over\n600,000 of them) through a JSON / JSON-P / XML REST interface. Three\noperations are provided:\n\n* **Search the collection** — list paginated, language-localised result\n  pages with rich filters (maker, type, material, technique, century,\n  dominant colour, image availability, top-piece flag) using the same\n  filtering vocabulary as the museum's own advanced-search page.\n* **Get collection object details** — return the full record for a single\n  object (title, descriptions, principal maker biography, dating,\n  dimensions, materials, techniques, Iconclass classification, colours,\n  bilingual plaque text, acquisition history, exhibitions, web image).\n* **Get collection image tiles** — return a multi-level tile pyramid for an\n  object's web image so consumers can offer the same deep-zoom experience\n  used on rijksmuseum.nl.\n\nResponses are localised through the `culture` path parameter (`nl` for\nDutch, `en` for English). Every request must carry a `key` query parameter\nholding the caller's API key, which is issued instantly upon registering a\nfree Rijksstudio account.\n"
  termsOfService: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/data/policy
  contact:
    name: Rijksmuseum Research Services
    url: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/research/conduct-research/contact-form
  license:
    name: Public Domain (most object images) / CC-BY (modern works) — see Data Policy
    url: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/data/policy
  x-generated-from: documentation
  x-source-url: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/object-metadata/api/
  x-last-validated: '2026-05-29'
  x-api-evangelist-pipeline: opensource
servers:
- url: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/api
  description: Production
security:
- ApiKeyQuery: []
tags:
- name: Images
  description: Deep-zoom tile pyramids for object web images.
paths:
  /{culture}/collection/{objectNumber}/tiles:
    get:
      operationId: getCollectionObjectTiles
      summary: Get Collection Object Image Tiles
      description: 'Returns the tile-pyramid description for an object''s web image. The

        response contains one entry per zoom level (`z0`–`z6`, where `z0` is

        the largest resolution and `z6` is the smallest), and each level

        carries a list of image tiles with x/y coordinates and a CDN URL.


        This endpoint only supports the JSON response format.

        '
      tags:
      - Images
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Culture'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/ApiKey'
      - name: objectNumber
        in: path
        required: true
        description: Case-sensitive object identifier (e.g. `SK-C-5`).
        schema:
          type: string
          pattern: ^[A-Za-z0-9-]+$
          example: SK-C-5
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Tile pyramid for the requested object's web image.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ImageTilesResponse'
              examples:
                nightwatchTiles:
                  $ref: '#/components/examples/GetNightWatchTiles'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
        '404':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/NotFound'
        '429':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited'
components:
  parameters:
    ApiKey:
      name: key
      in: query
      required: true
      description: The caller's Rijksstudio API key.
      schema:
        type: string
        pattern: ^[A-Za-z0-9]+$
        example: 0fiuZxBwf
    Culture:
      name: culture
      in: path
      required: true
      description: Locale for both the query semantics and the response content (`nl` Dutch, `en` English).
      schema:
        type: string
        enum:
        - nl
        - en
        example: en
  schemas:
    ImageTilesResponse:
      type: object
      description: Tile pyramid description for an object's web image.
      properties:
        levels:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/ImageTileLevel'
    ImageTileLevel:
      type: object
      description: One zoom level of the tile pyramid.
      properties:
        name:
          type: string
          description: Level name. `z0` is largest; `z6` is smallest.
          example: z3
        width:
          type: integer
          example: 1771
        height:
          type: integer
          example: 1441
        tiles:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/ImageTile'
    Error:
      type: object
      description: Standard error payload (shape inferred from API responses).
      properties:
        statusCode:
          type: integer
          example: 401
        message:
          type: string
          example: Invalid API key.
    ImageTile:
      type: object
      description: A single tile in the pyramid.
      properties:
        x:
          type: integer
          example: 2
        y:
          type: integer
          example: 2
        url:
          type: string
          format: uri
  responses:
    RateLimited:
      description: Daily quota or short-window rate limit exceeded.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
    Unauthorized:
      description: Missing or invalid API key.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
    NotFound:
      description: The requested object number could not be found.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
  examples:
    GetNightWatchTiles:
      summary: Tile pyramid for *The Night Watch*
      value:
        levels:
        - name: z3
          width: 1771
          height: 1441
          tiles:
          - x: 2
            y: 2
            url: http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I1HN0VxmDySYN5oCqaykuTRukdFh-JemILAmTvHtGsGnBm968CiQpxkfgqQZnbKD5bS1m0tGZYx7v8HFnWjE3kizw=s0
        - name: z4
          width: 885
          height: 720
          tiles:
          - x: 1
            y: 0
            url: http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fBdzIPG0qlGnIkqKUFaX3dAiEnC9jnfCIR9ib32M1xh7bPHuK6ZTJMxgwn8jYsvymdupCFdtm3vHJg-n10JuhBD7w=s0
  securitySchemes:
    ApiKeyQuery:
      type: apiKey
      in: query
      name: key
      description: 'Free API key issued on creating a Rijksstudio account at

        https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudio. The key is available from the

        account''s advanced settings.

        '