In the summer of 2026, the Rijksmuseum offers a new perspective on Ed van der Elsken, the most influential Dutch photographer of the twentieth century. In Ed van der Elsken. Up Close, well-known and never-before-seen photographs, contact sheets, letters, notes, book designs and film clips from his own archive guide visitors through his life, career and postwar history.
Ed van der Elsken (1925-1990) was a pioneer of street photography and made his own life a subject from the outset, which was highly unusual at the time.
His way of working was intuitive, experimental and often involved direct contact with the people in front of his lens. His choice of everyday subjects and extensive experiments in the darkroom were innovative and daring.
In 2019, the Rijksmuseum and the Nederlands Fotomuseum acquired his complete working archive. This collection of forty years of material makes it possible to illuminate every key moment in his career, from his decision to become an independent photographer to his filming of his own dying process.
The exhibition Ed van der Elsken. Up Close, which is made possible in part by the Familie Krouwels Fonds, Jan and Trish de Bont, and a private donor through the Rijksmuseum Fonds, offers a unique look at his multifaceted body of work.
Ed van der Elsken. Up Close
19 June through 13 Sept. 2026
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
