Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art:
Treasures from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Portland Art Museum
Portland OR – Jun 2-Sep 16, 2007

Govert Flink, The Governors of the Kloveniersdoelen (1642), oil, collection: Rijksmuseum Amsterdam [Portland Art Museum, Portland OR, Jun 2-Sept 16]

With a focus on the work of Rembrandt van Rijn, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art: Treasures from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam  highlights the artistry of Holland’s “Golden Age” with exceptional examples of 17th Century paintings, etchings and pieces of decorative and applied arts. Included in the exhibit are works by Jan Steen, Frans Hals, Pieter de Hooch and Jacob van Ruisdael.

Frans Hals, Portrait of a Man, Possibly Nicolaes Hasselar, Brewer and Captain-Major of the Civic Guard in Amsterdam (c. 1633-1635), oil, collection: Rijksmuseum Amsterdam [Portland Art Museum, Portland OR, Jun 2-Sept 16]

While Amsterdam’s famed Rijksmuseum is under renovation, this traveling exhibition allows viewers a glimpse of many artworks never before exhibited in the United States. The images provide a window into the lives and values of a time during which the Republic of United Netherlands became recognized as an independent state, freed from Spanish domination. Economic growth during this historical period led to a modern, urban society and an expanded middle class. Art was bought and sold in a free market rather than through commissions by the church or nobility. With the exception of Rembrandt, who demonstrated mastery in every genre, artists were finally able to specialize and create a niche for their work.

The exhibit is organized into themed sections, each including work by Rembrandt. The Artists and Their World, which includes Rembrandt's Self-Portrait as the Apostle Paul (1661), highlights self-portraiture and portraits of colleagues. Still-Life and the Applied Arts revels in the excellence of applied art during this era. The City/Commerce illustrates the prosperity of international trade and the emerging middle class. The Countryside includes realistic landscapes and demonstrates the interest by some Dutch painters in rural Italy. Other thematic groupings include Religious Images and Objects; Burghers, Regents and Aristocrats in the Republic – many of whom could afford to commission portraits of their families; and Genre Painting, which embodies the essence of everyday 17th century life in Holland.

www.portlandartmuseum.org

Allyn Cantor