Female Voices in Art: Marleen Ram, Curator of Art Collections at Teylers Museum, Haarlem
"I am grateful Carla took my portrait when I was pregnant, portraying me both as an art professional and a mother."
Marleen Ram (b. 1988, Hilversum, The Netherlands) is Curator of Art Collections at Teylers Museum, Haarlem. Before that, she worked as Junior Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and the Fondation Custodia, Paris. She holds an M.A. in Renaissance Studies from Utrecht University and specialises in Old Master drawings. She has collaborated on several exhibitions, including Home and Abroad: Dutch and Flemish Landscape Drawings from the John and Marine van Vlissingen Art Foundation (Rijksmuseum/Fondation Custodia, 2015-2016), Frans Post: Animals in Brazil (Rijksmuseum, 2016-2017), John Constable (Teylers Museum, 2020-2021) and Hockney’s Eye (Fitzwilliam Museum/Teylers Museum, 2022-2023).
Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?
My work as Curator of Art Collections at Teylers Museum is very diverse, from organizing exhibitions and writing acquisition proposals, to assisting with the annual dusting of the frames on display in the art galleries. If there is any time left, I conduct research on the museum's collection of Dutch drawings from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. The results of this research will be published in a collection catalogue. Only a small group of scholars worldwide specialise in Dutch drawings. With my research, I hope to keep this field alive, fun and relevant.
What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?
Carla's project Women in the Art World has existed for some time. I feel honoured to join the long line of inspiring and influential female artists, curators and museum directors. I take great pleasure in the fact that our ideas – and quite literally our faces – are captured and preserved for the future in this special way.
Do you have a favourite artist?
There are so many: Rembrandt, Constable, Dumas. But if I have to choose one, it is Hendrick Goltzius, the famous 16th-century Dutch draughtsman, engraver and painter. Teylers Museum holds the largest collection of drawings by his hand worldwide, including the phenomenally drawn portrait of Giambologna. This group of drawings was once owned by Christina of Sweden, another favourite historical figure of mine – though not an artist.
What is your earliest memory involving art?
I drew a lot as a teenager, especially during vacations by the sea where I secretly made sketches of other bathers. To encourage drawing, my parents gave me a model drawing book containing images of famous nudes, such as the work of Modigliani. I have long since stopped drawing, but I think this planted the seed to later study art history.
Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?
When I conduct research, nine times out of ten I refer to male scholars: Benesch, Sumowski, Boon, Schatborn, and so on. This is slowly changing now. I am doing my best to do my part, and hopefully one day I too will become an important reference work. I do realize that I set the bar high, because combining a full time job with research and a family is a challenge. More awareness and understanding of that in the art world – and in society in general – is needed. For that reason, I am grateful Carla took my portrait when I was pregnant, portraying me both as an art professional and a mother.
What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?
In the photo, I am 33 weeks pregnant with my second child. My favourite outfit was leggings and a loose-fitting sweater, not really elegant for a photo shoot. So for this special occasion, I borrowed a dress from a friend. I do that often, for example, for openings of exhibitions. This way I don't have to buy something new every time.
What are you currently working on?
I am preparing an exhibition on Christina of Sweden and her renowned art collection (2027). The core of the museum’s drawings collection, including works by Michelangelo, Raphael and Goltzius, once belonged to her. The exhibition will focus on the role art played in Christina's self-presentation, with a special focus on her gender fluidity and sexuality.
Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?
During my work as Junior Curator at the Rijksmuseum and the Fondation Custodia I met many inspiring people, including Jane Turner, former Head of the Print Room. She showed me that you can combine a demanding job with a family.
