• MATCHES
  • DETAILS
  • CONTEXT
  • HUMAN

How to search historical records with your AI

Connect your AI to Europeana to find cultural artifacts using natural language. Your agent handles the database queries so you can focus on the research.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I find specific items in Europeana using my AI?

You describe the object, artist, or era you're looking for, and your agent searches the Europeana database for matches. It pulls the relevant records and provides the details you need. You'll see the specific outcomes below.

Search outcomes

What your search produces

The AI turns your questions into specific database hits.

MATCHES

Relevant search results

The AI uses search_records to find items that match your description. You get a list of paintings, books, or artifacts that fit your criteria.

DETAILS

Full record data

Once you find an item, the AI uses get_record to pull the specific metadata. This includes descriptions, creators, and dates.

CONTEXT

Research summaries

Your agent reads the retrieved data to explain why an item is relevant to your specific research question.

HUMAN

Manual verification

You'll need to review the specific record details to ensure the historical context meets your research standards.

The workflow

What your AI does when you ask a question.

The AI translates your intent into database actions.

  1. Identify intent

    Your agent analyzes your prompt to determine if you are looking for a specific artist, a time period, or a type of object.

    search_records

  2. Query the database

    The AI executes a search against the Europeana collection to find all matching entries.

    search_records

  3. Fetch metadata

    After finding a match, the AI pulls the complete data for that specific item to get the full picture.

    get_record

  4. Summarize findings

    The AI presents the results by highlighting the most relevant information from the records.

    get_record

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to begin your research.

Starting points

Swap the bracketed text for the specific era, artist, or object you want to find.

Europeana Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_Wb27j1SLE0rZgIpfAf0WLWSsm7auXg5Sxbj7If0X/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Europeana capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "europeana-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_Wb27j1SLE0rZgIpfAf0WLWSsm7auXg5Sxbj7If0X/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Search Europeana for 17th century Dutch landscape paintings.

  • Find records of books written by Victor Hugo in the Europeana database.

  • Look for artifacts related to the French Revolution in Europeana.

  • Get the details for the painting 'The Starry Night' using Europeana.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Europeana once, then ask.

Link the Europeana MCP to your client. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can start querying immediately.

Connect Europeana to your AI

FAQ

How the search behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI add new items to Europeana?

    No. The AI can only search and retrieve existing records.

  • 02

    Can I download high-resolution images through the AI?

    No. The AI retrieves the record data and metadata, but you'll need to visit the source via the provided links to download files.

  • 03

    Does the AI search all museums in Europe?

    It searches the Europeana database, which aggregates data from thousands of European institutions.

  • 04

    Can the AI filter results by date?

    Yes, you can include specific time periods in your natural language prompts to narrow down the search.

  • 05

    Can the AI edit the metadata of a record?

    No. The tools are strictly for searching and getting record information.

  • More questions about Europeana? See everything the Europeana Connector can do

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