Exhibitions. The incumbent proposes, organizes, and coordinates major and minor exhibitions of Northern European paintings through 1750 both from the Gallery’s holdings and from other institutions and private collections. Ensures timely and accurate maintenance of The Museum System (TMS) database entries for exhibition objects in the online collection management system.

Acquisitions. Expands and deepens the Gallery’s collections through the acquisition of works of art of the highest quality and relevance to the Gallery’s collecting policies. Cultivates close and cooperative long-term relationships with donors, collectors, scholars, and art dealers, to attract and secure single objects, collections, purchase funds, or other types of gifts to the National Gallery.

Collection management and research. Performs and/or delegates scholarly and technical work to ensure thorough, up-to-date cataloguing, safe and orderly storage, and documentation of Northern European paintings belonging to the Gallery or proposed as gifts, purchases, and loans. Sets priorities for documenting the collection; works with visual services staff and art handlers to complete new photography. Works closely with painting conservators and technicians to ensure that physical care meets the highest standards for conservation treatment, storage, and framing.

The incumbent is responsible for the permanent collection of Northern European paintings through 1750. Keeps abreast of bibliography, exhibitions, collecting, publishing, and other developments in the field of Northern European painting and in relevant research areas. The incumbent is a scholar of considerable prestige and authority within the field of the history of art, specifically Northern European paintings from the 1400s through 1750. Northern Renaissance paintings and staff fall within the department of Northern European Paintings.

This responsibility involves supervision of staff, development of project budgets, decisions on the allocation of space, time, manpower, and other resources, development and collaboration on small scale to major exhibitions and related publications and programs, print and digital publishing on the permanent collection, and collaborative responsibility for content, scope, cost effectiveness, timeliness, and public and scholarly reception of curatorial projects.

To receive maximum employment consideration, candidates should ensure that their resumes, submitted through USAJobs.gov, clearly demonstrate possession of the following factors:

• Professional knowledge of art history and art historical research in Northern European paintings through 1750 (PhD preferred)

• Ability to develop a major museum-quality Old Master paintings collection

• Knowledge of collection management

• Skill in organizing exhibitions

• Skill in art museum program administration

• Preferred qualifications: PhD, specialization in Northern Baroque paintings, 6 to 10 years relevant curatorial experience in a major art museum.