Schwerin National Museum

Painting Guide

Schwerin National Museum has been organising special guided tours for the blind and partially sighted since 2005, but now they were to embark on an even more ambitious extension of that work, by offering a permanently accessible set of resources for the visually impaired!

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The National Museum has well deserved reputation as a leader in the field of inclusivity. It was this leading example that prompted us to create a groundbreaking way of accessing their displays with the development and design of a multi-sensory guidebook for everyone.

In particular we were determined to devise a new way of exploring one of the museum’s main attractions, the internationally renowned collection of 17th-century Dutch painting. ‘The Golden Age’ introduces eight paintings from the vast array of the museum’s most prominent collection, making them accessible for blind and visually impaired people alike for the first time. Each of these wonderful paintings is described in great detail. Transparent Braille texts are superimposed onto standard print or images, acting as mini works of art in their own right.

Tactile versions of the paintings in heightened relief, accompany these, giving everyone the chance to explore the works of art, in the fullest possible way. And if you don’t want to read or touch or look, nothing could be easier: you can listen. The accompanying audio CD rounds off our complete art package for all user groups. All in all, we’re delighted to say, that we lived up to both our own and our client’s expectations.

The success of our multi-sensory painting guide has been recognized with numerous awards, amongst others, the ADAC (German Automobile Association) Tourism Award and the International Design for All Foundation Award in 2013.

Image of the cover of the accessible painting guide "The Golden Age". Below the logos of the Design for all Award 2013 and the ADAC Tourism Award 2013 with which the book was honoured.
Photo showing details of a historical map of Holland in the 17th century. The coloured image of the topography is complemented by a transparent description in Braille applied to the map.
A sun-yellow coloured surface.
Photo showing a view into an exhibition hall of the Staatliches Museum Schwerin. On a light grey wall hang many paintings of Dutch painting of the 17th century in massive golden and dark frames. At some distance from the wall is a wooden bench on the parquet floor.
Photo of a test group of blind and visually impaired people in an exhibition hall of the State Museum Schwerin. Three women are sitting in the front row, framed by two men. In the row of seats behind them are two more people. They are checking Braille prints, relief transparencies and relief prints of our painting guide for legibility. Obviously with success, as can be seen from their faces.
Detail photo of a braille print with transparent varnish on black print. The braille image is neatly finished and easy to read.
Detail photo of a transparent deep-drawn relief foil on the painting motif The Geographer with palpating fingers of one hand. The reliefs reproduce the contours and surfaces of important details of the painting visible below, making it palpable.
View of a double page with the painting Pegboard with Flute. The painting has been optimised for the visually impaired with increased contrast. On the painting a deep relief film that makes the contours of the painting palpable. From the lower right edge of the picture, a hand protrudes into the photo and has lifted the lower edge of the relief foil.
In the background, the original painting "Moving Sea with Ships" in a wooden frame with golden ornaments. Next to the painting stands the museum educator with the open painting guide in her hands. The open page shows the image of the original painting. With one hand, the woman holds the relief foil upwards.
Illustration of the motto on the cover of the painting guide. Quote: "A painting can be written in words as well as feelings can be painted in poems." It comes from Pablo Picasso.
Detail photo of a foil print. You can see the applied lines and dots of varying thickness and height. They symbolise outlines and areas with which image compositions become recognisable.
Detail photo of a print of tactile capital letters on a cover.
The book is opened: the inside cover can be seen on the left and the book block on the right at the edge of the picture. On the inside cover, you can see part of a large-format photo with representatives of the Schwerin area group of the BSVMV on a museum visit. On top of the book is the black DAISY CD, which makes the book audible.
View of the pattern for the relief foil of the painting Pegboard with Flute. The numerous objects attached to the pegboard, a kind of pinboard, require high skills in cardboard model making in order to distinguish them well from each other.
Photo of a group of blind and visually impaired people, sitting in the museum. In the foreground is an elderly gentleman with white hair wearing a black leather jacket. On his jacket is a badge with the three black dots on a yellow background. With the fingers of his right hand he is feeling the foil print of a painting.

A Glance at the Book

View of the title of the closed book lying on a white background. The title shows in the background, blurred and dark, a detail of the painting "Lady at the Harpsichord". On it, in large sun-yellow letters, the title of the book: The Golden Age, which is also applied in Braille with the help of a sticker.
The book is opened: the inside cover can be seen on the left and the book block on the right at the edge of the picture. On the inside cover, you can see part of a large-format photo with representatives of the Schwerin area group of the BSVMV on a museum visit. On top of the book is the black DAISY CD, which makes the book audible.
View of a double page with the painting Pegboard with Flute. The painting has been optimised for the visually impaired with increased contrast. On the painting a deep relief film that makes the contours of the painting palpable. From the lower right edge of the picture, a hand protrudes into the photo and has lifted the lower edge of the relief foil.
This is followed by a tactile detail illustration of a flamed tulip belonging to the painting Garland of Flowers and Fruits. The Dutch tulip mania, which led to the bursting of the first speculative bubble in economic history in 1637, is discussed in detail on the right.

Rough Sea with Boats

An illustration of the painting Moving Sea with Ships by the Dutch painter Ludolf Backhuyzen. It shows four different sailing ships at sea in a strong swell. On the horizon is an island on which a lighthouse stands.
View of the pattern for the relief foil of the painting "Pegboard with Flute". The numerous objects attached to the pegboard, a kind of pinboard, require high skills in cardboard model making in order to distinguish them well from each other.
A view of the page with the painting Moving Sea with Ships by Ludolf Backhuyzen.

Listen to the description of the painting “Rough sea with boats” by Ludolf Backhuisen. (Audio only in german)

Inclusion in Use

Detail photo of a braille print with transparent varnish on black print. The braille image is neatly finished and easy to read.
Detail photo of a transparent deep-drawn relief foil on the painting motif The Geographer with palpating fingers of one hand. The reliefs reproduce the contours and surfaces of important details of the painting visible below, making it palpable.
A tactile detail illustration to the side head of the scholar depicted in the painting The Geographer. The picture is part of a workshop painting made by a pupil of the famous Gerard Dou. The palpable structure of a beard worn by the scholar can be seen in the image.
Photo of a swell print. Individual elements of the image can be printed in relief on a special paper by a swell printer. The head, glasses, beard, headgear and outer clothing of the old man depicted have distinguishable line widths and screenings.

Project Details

  • Client: Schwerin National Museum
  • Total Edition: 400 books
  • Project Period: 2011 – 2015
  • Project Partners: Kulturkompanie, Hela Michalski

Project Scope: Development of a publication concept for the first inclusive painting guide of Germany, development of book content (selection of paintings and background information), development of a novel production method for the large-scale printing of transparent Braille, development of texts and audio descriptions of paintings for visually impaired readers, concept and digitizing of tactile illustrations, layout and graphic design, support studio recordings Audio CD, production management

 
Photo for the next project: Close-up of an envelope with black lettering and transparent braille

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