The Image and Experience of the Dutch Golden Age. Museum Apps in the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Museum.

Abstract

Within this thesis it is argued that museum apps are situated in the middle of two theoretical discussions: the one concerning ‘learning versus education’ and the one between public historians on the question ‘is everyone a historian?’ This thesis aims to inquire whether and to what extent museum apps can contribute to the image and experience of the Dutch Golden Age, and does so by analyzing the #goudenEeuw app of the Amsterdam Museum and the Rijksmuseum app of the Rijksmuseum in relation to theories on learning, public history and developments on the construction of the image of the Golden Age.

As a result of this inquiry, it is argued that museum apps can indeed contribute to the image and experience of the Dutch Golden Age. However, whether they do so and in what way, depends on the app. Museum apps can mainly contribute to the existing image of the Dutch Golden Age by offering its users an image of the Golden Age that is based on the personal lives and stories of historical figures. In contrast to other methods of transmission, museum apps are dynamic and therefore have the power to create visitors who can engage with the past on a deeper level. When these active visitors are enabled with choices, they can experience the past in a unique, personalized way, which challenges them to construct their own version of the past and reflect upon the existing image realistically and critically.