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What is Studio Marie Cecile Thijs?
Studio Marie Cecile Thijs is the online home of Dutch artist Marie Cécile Thijs, a photographer whose work spans portraits of people, animals, flowers and food. Her site describes a "surreal," "poetic" world built on tranquillity and stillness, so expect an emphasis on mood and quiet composition rather than documentary or commercial photography.
The site presents her as an established artist rather than a service provider: the homepage notes she was named Artist of the Year 2024 and that her works are held in collections including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Museum Rotterdam, the Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. That collection record is the clearest signal of where her work sits — museum and institutional contexts, not stock or event photography.
Who it is for
- Art and photography followers who want to see her portrait, animal, flower and food series in one place.
- Curators, collectors and gallery visitors checking exhibition history and institutional holdings.
- Interior and design professionals looking for a distinctive, restrained aesthetic for a project or reference board.
- Students of staged or surreal photography studying how stillness and lighting are used in portraiture.
What to expect, and what not to
The site is a portfolio and artist presence, not a booking or e-commerce platform. There are no pricing signals in the material available, so if you are hoping to buy a print or commission a shoot, treat that as an enquiry to make directly rather than something the site appears to handle.
If your interest is the work itself, start with the portfolio sections covering people, animals, flowers and food, and compare how consistently the same quiet atmosphere carries across very different subjects — that consistency is the signature the artist describes. If your interest is collecting or exhibiting, the collection and award references are the most useful starting points.
How can I purchase or license a photograph by Marie Cécile Thijs?
Purchasing or licensing a Marie Cécile Thijs photograph usually starts by contacting her studio directly through Studio Marie Cecile Thijs. The site presents her work across portraits of people, animals, flowers and food, and is the natural first point of enquiry for both private buyers and professional licensing.
Two common routes
- Buying a print for yourself. Ask the studio about available works, print formats and editions. Availability often depends on the specific image, so name the photograph or series you are interested in.
- Licensing for a project. If you need an image for a publication, campaign, interior or broadcast, explain the intended use, territory, duration and media. Licensing terms are normally agreed individually.
What to include in your enquiry
- The exact image or series, with a link or screenshot
- Whether you want a physical print or reproduction rights
- Where and how it will be used (private wall, magazine, website, exhibition)
- Your timeline and any deadline
Why the context matters
Thijs's work is held in museum collections including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which signals a fine-art market rather than a stock-photo model. That typically means limited editions, studio-approved reproductions and case-by-case licensing rather than instant online checkout.
As a practical next step, send a short message through the studio site describing the image and your intended use, and ask for current availability and terms. If you are unsure whether you need a print or a licence, say so — the studio can guide you to the right option.
Which museums have Marie Cécile Thijs's work in their collections?
Marie Cécile Thijs's work is held in the collections of several museums, according to the artist's own site. The named institutions are:
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
- Lisser Museum LAM
- Museum Rotterdam
- Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond
- National Museum of History and Art, Luxembourg
If you are planning to see her work in person, treat this as a starting point rather than a guarantee. Museum collections rotate: a piece can be held but not on view, so check the individual museum's online collection or current exhibition list before travelling. For a Dutch visit, the Rijksmuseum and Museum Rotterdam are the most straightforward places to begin; for a US trip, San Diego and Richmond are the relevant stops.
What makes Marie Cécile Thijs's portraits of animals and flowers surreal?
Marie Cécile Thijs creates surrealism through staging and restraint rather than digital spectacle. Her animal and flower portraits read as quiet, almost theatrical scenes: the subject is isolated against a dark or plain ground, lit like a classical painting, and posed as if it were a person sitting for a portrait. A rabbit, a bird or a bouquet is given the same dignity, framing and stillness she gives her human sitters. The surprise comes from that mismatch — an animal or a flower behaving with human formality — and from details that feel slightly impossible: a creature placed where it does not belong, a bloom held in an unnatural pose, an object or garment intruding into the frame. The Dutch still-life and old-master portrait tradition is clearly the reference point, which is why the work feels poetic rather than fantastical.
Her stated aim of tranquillity matters here. Surrealism usually unsettles; Thijs unsettles gently, by removing context and motion until only the subject and its strange composure remain. The result is closer to a dream you remember calmly than to a shock image.
If you want to see whether that reading holds, look at a single series in sequence rather than one picture at a time: notice how consistently she uses darkness, symmetry and direct eye contact, and how often the odd element is small rather than central. That is the signature. Her work is held in public collections including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Museum Rotterdam and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, so museum collection pages and the studio site Studio Marie Cecile Thijs are the most reliable places to check current exhibitions and available prints.
Can I commission a portrait from Marie Cécile Thijs?
Commissioning a portrait from Marie Cécile Thijs is plausible but not something the site presents as a standard, orderable service. The studio's public face is a fine-art practice: her portraits of people, animals, flowers and food are made in a signature surreal, tranquil style, and her work is held in museum collections including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. That profile suggests a commissioned portrait would be treated as an artistic project rather than a conventional photo shoot.
What a commission would likely involve
- A conversation first. Because the work is concept-driven, you would probably discuss the subject, mood and setting before any shoot.
- A slow, staged process. Her images are constructed and poetic rather than candid, so expect planning, styling and post-production time.
- Limited availability. A museum-collected artist typically takes on few private commissions, and may decline projects that don't fit her visual language.
- Rights and use. Clarify upfront whether the resulting image is for private display, publication or commercial use.
Practical next step
Use the contact details on Studio Marie Cecile Thijs and send a short, specific enquiry: who or what the portrait is of, where it would be displayed, your timeline, and your budget range. Ask directly whether she accepts commissions and what her process and lead time look like.
If you want a benchmark for the kind of work she does, look at her museum-held pieces first; that tells you more about fit than any price list would.
Where can I see Marie Cécile Thijs's photographs exhibited in person?
The studio site itself doesn't list current exhibition dates; it mainly confirms her standing and where her work is held. The most reliable in-person viewing is at the museums that own her photographs, where pieces from the collection may be on display depending on rotation.
Museums named as holding her work include:
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
- LAM Museum, Lisse
- Museum Rotterdam
- Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond
- National Museum of History and Art, Luxembourg
For a museum visit, check the collection online first and then contact the museum directly to ask whether a specific work is currently hung. Photography collections often rotate, so a piece can be owned but not on view.
A practical next step is to start with Studio Marie Cecile Thijs for the artist's own framing, then verify display status with the relevant museum. If you want to see a concentrated group of her portraits and still lifes, a photography-focused venue such as the Museum of Photographic Arts or the Rijksmuseum's photography galleries is the better bet than a general history museum.
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