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mariececilethijs.com

Come into the magnificent and surreal world of Marie Cécile Thijs. Portraits of people, animals, flowers and food, they all bear her specific signature. The Dutch artist creates a poetic atmosphere of tranquillity. Stillness is key.

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2001
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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.

Related questions

More questions →
Where to View Marie Cécile Thijs's Photography on Her Website

Marie Cécile Thijs's photography is viewable directly at mariececilethijs.com, the official site of Studio Marie Cecile Thijs. The site functions as a portfolio and gallery: the homepage is the main entry point for browsing her work, which is organized around her signature subjects — people, animals, flowers, and food. If you want to see her images rather than read about her, start on the homepage and move through the work sections from there.

What the site is for

Studio Marie Cecile Thijs is a presentation site for the artist's own work, not a shop or a booking platform. Its stated purpose is to bring visitors into "the magnificent and surreal world of Marie Cécile Thijs," described as a poetic atmosphere of tranquillity in which stillness is key. That framing tells you what to expect: quiet, carefully composed images rather than a fast-moving commercial catalog.

The site is published in English.

Where to start

The homepage is the natural first stop. It carries the site's headline identity — "Marie Cecile Thijs" — and a short statement of what her work covers:

  • Portraits of people
  • Animals
  • Flowers
  • Food

Each of these is a distinct subject area within her practice, and all of them carry what the site calls her "specific signature." If you already know which subject interests you, look for the corresponding section of the site; if you don't, the homepage gives you the overview before you drill in.

What the homepage highlights

One item worth noticing on the homepage is the ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2024 designation. It sits alongside the main presentation of her work and signals current recognition rather than a historical retrospective.

The homepage also lists where her work is held in public collections:

Collection Location
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Lisser Museum LAM (Netherlands)
Museum Rotterdam Rotterdam
Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond
National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg

This matters if you're trying to place her work in a museum context or verify its standing — the site itself is the source for these holdings, so you can treat the homepage as the reference point.

Practical notes

  • No pricing or purchase information is indicated on the site as described. Don't assume prints are for sale or that browsing requires an account — neither is stated.
  • No login is mentioned. The work is presented for viewing.
  • If you're looking for a specific series, use the subject categories (people, animals, flowers, food) as your navigation logic rather than expecting a dated archive.
  • For collection or exhibition context, the homepage's collection list is the most concrete information the site provides.

The short answer

Go to mariececilethijs.com and begin on the homepage. From there, browse by subject — people, animals, flowers, or food — to see the work itself. The homepage is also where you'll find her 2024 artist recognition and the list of museums holding her photographs.

Who Is Marie Cécile Thijs and What Is Her Artistic Style?

Marie Cécile Thijs is a Dutch photographic artist whose work centers on portraits of people, animals, flowers, and food, all rendered in a distinctive surreal, poetic, and tranquil visual language. Her studio site, mariececilethijs.com, presents her as "Artist of the Year 2024" and notes that her works are held in the collections of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Lisser Museum LAM, Museum Rotterdam, Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond, and the National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg. If you want to understand what kind of photographer she is and what her images look like before exploring her portfolio, the essentials are below.

Background and recognition

Thijs is described on her site as a Dutch artist. Two facts anchor her standing in the art world:

  • Artist of the Year 2024 — a designation featured prominently on her homepage.
  • Museum collections — her work is included in the collections of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Lisser Museum LAM, Museum Rotterdam, Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond, and the National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg.

These institutional holdings matter because they signal that her photography is treated as collectible fine art rather than commercial or editorial imagery.

Artistic style: surreal, still, and poetic

The site describes her as creating "a poetic atmosphere of tranquillity," with stillness as the key element. Her signature is a surreal quality applied across very different subjects — people, animals, flowers, and food — so that a portrait of a person and a still life of fruit feel like they belong to the same visual world.

In practice, this means:

  • Stillness over motion — compositions feel paused, quiet, and deliberate rather than candid or dynamic.
  • Surreal atmosphere — familiar subjects are staged in ways that feel slightly dreamlike or uncanny.
  • A consistent signature — the same mood carries across genres, which is why the site frames all four subject categories as bearing "her specific signature."

What she photographs

Subject What to expect
People Portraits carrying the same surreal, tranquil signature
Animals Animal subjects treated with the same poetic stillness
Flowers Floral still lifes in the same visual language
Food Food imagery that reads as fine-art still life rather than commercial photography

How to decide whether her work is for you

  • If you collect or follow fine-art photography, the museum collection list is the strongest signal of where she sits in the field.
  • If you are drawn to quiet, surreal imagery rather than documentary or street photography, her stillness-first approach is the main appeal.
  • If you want to see the style rather than read about it, the works themselves are the only reliable reference — the site's own description is a summary, not a substitute for viewing the images.

For current availability, pricing, or exhibition details, check the site directly, since those specifics are not covered in the material summarized here.

Which Museums Have Collected Works by Marie Cécile Thijs?

Marie Cécile Thijs's photographs are held in the collections of several museums and public institutions in Europe and the United States. According to her studio's website, works by the Dutch artist are included in the collections of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Lisser Museum LAM, Museum Rotterdam, the Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond, and the National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg. The same page notes that she was named Artist of the Year 2024.

Museums Listed on the Studio Website

The following institutions are named as holding her work:

Institution Location
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
Lisser Museum LAM Lisse, Netherlands
Museum Rotterdam Rotterdam, Netherlands
Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego San Diego, United States
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond Richmond, United States
National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg Luxembourg

The list spans national museums, city museums, and a dedicated photography museum, which places her work in both fine-art and photographic collections.

What the Collections Signal

Inclusion in a national museum such as the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, alongside a photography-focused institution like the Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego, indicates that her portraits of people, animals, flowers, and food are recognized as collectible fine-art photography rather than commercial or documentary work. The studio describes her signature as a poetic, tranquil atmosphere built on stillness, and museum acquisition is one of the clearest external markers of that standing.

Checking for Updates

Museum collections change as institutions acquire new work, and the studio site may list additional or updated holdings over time. If you need the current list — for research, a loan request, or a visit — check the studio website directly rather than relying on any single snapshot of the collection list.

What is Studio Marie Cecile Thijs?

Studio Marie Cecile Thijs (mariececilethijs.com) is the official website of Dutch artist Marie Cécile Thijs, a photographer whose work spans portraits of people, animals, flowers, and food. The site presents her portfolio and credentials, including the fact that her works are held in the collections of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Lisser Museum LAM, Museum Rotterdam, Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond, and the National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg. It also notes her recognition as Artist of the Year 2024.

Who is the artist behind the site?

Marie Cécile Thijs is a Dutch photographer. Her studio's own description frames her practice around a "magnificent and surreal world," with a signature style applied across every subject she photographs. The site positions her as the sole creative force behind the work, and the collection list above serves as the primary evidence of her standing in the art world.

What kind of photography does she make?

Her work is best understood through three recurring traits:

  • Surreal staging — the images are described as surreal, meaning they go beyond straightforward documentation of a subject.
  • A poetic, tranquil atmosphere — the studio describes the mood as poetic and calm rather than dramatic or confrontational.
  • Stillness as the core device — the site states plainly that "stillness is key," which suggests composition and quiet are central to how each image works.

Subject matter

The portfolio covers four broad categories:

Category What to expect
People Portraits bearing her specific signature style
Animals Animal subjects treated with the same surreal, still approach
Flowers Floral still lifes
Food Food imagery, likely arranged rather than documentary

The through-line is that all four categories are treated consistently — the signature is described as applying across subjects, not just to one genre.

Why does the museum list matter?

For anyone evaluating the artist, the collection list is the most concrete signal on the site. Being included in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego, among others, indicates institutional recognition rather than only commercial or editorial work. The Artist of the Year 2024 heading on the homepage adds a current marker of that recognition.

What the site does and doesn't tell you

The site functions as a portfolio and artist profile. Based on the available page content, it does not publish pricing, print availability, licensing terms, or contact/purchase instructions. If you are looking to buy a work, commission a shoot, or license an image, you would need to look for a contact route on the site itself rather than expect those details to be stated on the homepage.

When this site is useful to you

  • You want to see the portfolio of a specific Dutch photographer working in a surreal, still, poetic register.
  • You are checking her exhibition and collection credentials before citing or referencing her work.
  • You are researching contemporary photography that treats people, animals, flowers, and food within one consistent visual language.

If you need transactional information — prices, editions, shipping — treat this as a starting point and verify details directly with the studio.

Website Overview

Identifiable technologies and additional version or configuration signals make the service easier to fingerprint, which may help targeted scanners narrow their checks. An established domain and managed infrastructure suggest continuity of operations and may support dependable delivery, although neither guarantees service quality.

Domain and Registration

Registered in 2001, this domain has about 25 years of history. That suggests continuity, although ownership and purpose may have changed. Transfer-protection status is present, helping reduce the risk of unauthorized domain transfers. The domain uses the common .com extension, which is not an independent safety signal.

DNS and Email

The observed email authentication setup is incomplete: DMARC is missing. Nameservers are provided by ospito.nl, indicating managed DNS hosting. MX records point to the mariececilethijs.com email service. DNSSEC is enabled, allowing validating resolvers to authenticate signed DNS data. CAA records restrict which certificate authorities are authorized to issue certificates.

TLS and Certificates

The public key uses EC with 384 bits. The server supplied a complete certificate chain. No organization name is present in the certificate; the available fields are consistent with domain validation. The certificate was issued by Let's Encrypt, commonly associated with automated certificate services. The certificate's total validity is about 89 days, consistent with a short renewal cycle.

HTTP and Browser Security

The checked browser-security headers were not detected, leaving fewer explicit browser-side safeguards. No X-Powered-By header was found, reducing one common source of backend fingerprinting information. No obvious internal addresses or debug information were found in the headers. The Server header identifies nginx without an exact version. No explicit CDN or WAF marker was found in the response headers.

Technology Stack Analysis

The public page identifies WordPress 4.9.33, jQuery, Google Analytics, nginx, with exact versions exposed for 1 technologies. These details can narrow vulnerability checks, although exposure alone is not a vulnerability.

Search and Social Sharing

The meta description has 232 characters and may be shortened in search results. The Generator tag identifies WordPress 4.9.33, making the publishing system easier to fingerprint. Open Graph is partially configured; og:image is missing. Twitter Card metadata is configured. The title has 25 characters, within a common display range.

Hosting and Email

DNSospito.nl
HostingPrevider B.V.
Emailmariececilethijs.com
Approximate IP geolocation (inferred; a CDN or proxy may differ from the origin server) The Netherlands flagVeldhoven, North Brabant, The Netherlands Inferred 46.17.8.70

Registration details

RDAP / WHOIS

RegistrarHosting Concepts B.V. d/b/a Registrar.eu
Registered2001-02-26
Expires2027-02-26
Domain statusclient transfer prohibited
Nameserversns1.ospito.nl、ns2.ospito.net、ns3.ospito.eu
DNSSECsigned

DNS records

DNS

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TXTmariececilethijs.comv=spf1 a mx ip4:46.17.8.70 ~all14400—
CAAmariececilethijs.com0 issue "letsencrypt.org"3600—
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TLS and certificates

TLS / SSL

AssessmentNormal configuration
Supported protocolsTLSv1.2、TLSv1.3
Negotiated protocolTLSv1.3
Certificate subject*.mariececilethijs.com
IssuerLet's Encrypt
Valid until2026-11-10T05:27 · Remaining when checked: 37 days
Verification detailsCertificate trust: Passed · Hostname match: Passed

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HeaderValue
content-typetext/html; charset=UTF-8
cache-controlmax-age=172800
servernginx

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WordPress 4.9.33jQueryGoogle Analyticsnginx

Pages, Search and Sharing

Meta descriptionCome into the magnificent and surreal world of Marie Cécile Thijs. Portraits of people, animals, flowers and food, they all bear her specific signature. The Dutch artist creates a poetic atmosphere of tranquillity. Stillness is key.
Canonical URLhttps://www.mariececilethijs.com/
LanguageEnglish (default)
Twitter Cardsummary
All bots 1 allowed · 3 disallowed
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