The De Mayerne research programme concentrates on the works of Dutch painters from the 15th to the 20th century, such as Rembrandt and Van Gogh. In the research programme, art historians, chemists and physicists are working together with various museums, including the Van Gogh Museum, the Mauritshuis and the Rijksmuseum. The Tate Gallery in London and the ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Zurich are also participating in the project.
The interdisciplinary cooperation within the research programme is expressed in research into artist's techniques and studio practices. Research into historical sources is combined with analytical research on the surface of the objects. Also the research into ageing processes and the effects of restoration procedures requires an art history contribution in addition to more fundamental chemical and physical research into changes due to the ageing of components in the paint and varnish.
In January 2002, five new projects started within this research programme.
The projects are being carried out by various research institutes, including the Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF), the Canadian Conservation Institute, the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage, Leiden University, and various museums including the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Mauritshuis. The Limburg Conservation Institute is also participating in the project.