Teylers Museum is the first and oldest museum in the Netherlands. It is built next to the house of Pieter Teylers.
This unique, 18th-century former home of the founder of Teylers Museum has been thoroughly restored since 2013.

Commissioned by the museum Johan Nieuwenhuize was the first ‘artist in residence’ to portray the last two years of the restoration. The purpose of this project was twofold. First of all, it was an art assignment: Nieuwenhuize was given free rein to take his own photos in the house in order to create a book about the houze. He also made documentary photos to record the progress of the restoration.

This resulted in a large series of reportage photos and a database with detailed images that show historical layers and temporary details in the home.

The database with detailed images forms the starting point for an extensive artist’s book that was designed in collaboration with data scientist Robin van Emden and designer Welmer Keesmaat. The public ranked these photos as “emotional” or “rational” through an online image survey. This question was related to the transitional period between the rationalism of the Enlightenment and the emotion of Romanticism: the birthplace of Teylers Museum. The outcome of this research was literally copied by designer Keesmaat as an edit for the book Pieter Teylers House.

The project was on display in Teylers Museum from 20 November 2021 to 15 May 2022.