Herman Boerhaave

A walk through the life and world of one of the most influential Dutch physicians.

Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, Leiden (NL), 2018

Entrance area of the exhibition featuring a large wall graphic with the name “Herman Boerhaave” and a silhouette cutout, with a man standing in a dimly lit space beyond the entrance.

Overview

The Rijksmuseum Boerhaave celebrated the 350th birthday of Herman Boerhaave with a temporary exhibition that brought his scientific legacy to life. Visitors followed the physician’s milestones through historic Leiden, exploring key locations from the botanical garden to his home.

It combines historical artifacts, scientific instruments, and archival documents to tell the story of Boerhaave’s life and contributions. Through carefully composed visual presentation, spatial sequencing, and multimedia elements, the experience uncovered his fight against scientific misinformation and his lasting impact on medicine.

  • A young woman kneeling in front of a glass case containing a bronze bust, carefully observing the sculpture below a graphic wall that combines Herman Boerhaave’s name and stylized portrait.
  • Two visitors standing side by side watching a large screen playing a video interview with English subtitles, in a gallery section centered on experimentation and scientific thought.
  • Glass case displaying a decorative urn placed on a dark pedestal, accompanied by a colorful wall panel that presents contextual information about Boerhaave’s life and work in Leiden.
  • A young woman leaning forward to read a display in a room filled with colorful graphics and scientific illustrations, while a man in the background engages with another exhibit.

Contribution

I led the exhibition’s visual design, defining its visual layer, typography, graphic language, and material choices. As the sole designer on the project, I was responsible for both the conceptual direction and hands-on execution of visual assets throughout the space.

My role involved translating historical and scientific content into a coherent and meaningful visual system, where color, typography, and graphic language support interpretation, reading logic, and wayfinding across the exhibition.

Working closely with curators, content designers, and production partners, I balanced narrative clarity, spatial rhythm, and material expression, while embracing a bold and contemporary visual approach to ensure the exhibition felt distinctive and impactful.

  • Two visitors observing a collection of scientific and medical instruments in glass cases, surrounded by vibrant graphic panels illustrating bedside practices and experimental methods.
  • A man in a blue shirt using a tactile interactive station, with buttons and dials, in a gallery filled with historic scientific tools and instructional displays.
  • A young woman carefully examining a historical thermometer encased in glass, set against a brightly colored wall display with interpretive text about Fahrenheit’s innovations.
  • Museum visitor exploring an exhibit of glass-encased scientific instruments and apothecary tools, surrounded by stylized wall graphics referencing laboratory experimentation.
  • Two museum visitors navigating a gallery on bedside teaching, featuring engraved medical scenes, information panels, and historic ceramic vessels inside glass displays.
  • Young woman leaning over a display case to observe a historical scientific object, with detailed background illustrations and text highlighting the tool’s significance.
  • Young man interacting with a botanical display that includes herbarium sheets and plant illustrations, framed by vivid green walls decorated with foliage motifs.
  • Woman closely reading a glass case containing handwritten medical notes, with a backdrop of engraved portraits and a large wall illustration of a teaching scene.

Key achievements

  • Led visual design and graphic language for a museum exhibition focused on scientific history.
  • Defined typography, color palette system, and visual graphics to support interpretation and wayfinding.
  • Translated historical and scientific content into a coherent visual experience.
  • Managed design execution as the sole designer, from concept through production.
  • Coordinated with curators and production partners across content, design, and production.
  • Three visitors inside a museum gallery featuring a finely crafted wooden dresser as a central exhibit, with a large family portrait and colorful illustrated walls displaying quotes and silhouettes, including a panel about Carl Linnaeus.
  • Two young visitors conversing in front of a large illustrated wall showing Leiden’s historic botanical garden and university buildings, with nearby panels on botanical research.
  • Close-up of four ornate apothecary jars labeled in Latin, each adorned with a decorative crest, arranged inside a glass display against a clean backdrop.
  • Woman smiling as she observes a glass case displaying fine porcelain tableware, set within a gallery of vivid wall illustrations and a historic portrait hanging in the background.

Credits

Role: Art Director | Lead Designer
Employer: Studio Louter
Client: Rijksmuseum Boerhaave
Photography: Mike Bink

© All rights reserved to Studio Louter

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