This summer the Dutch cultural centre Institut NĂ©erlandais in Paris is proud to present nearly one hundred of the finest drawings by Rembrandt and his circle from the famous Frits Lugt Collection. The exhibition will bring together twenty rarely exhibited Rembrandt drawings and a selection of the best work from his pupils and contemporaries, including Govert Flinck, Ferdinand Bol, Nicolaes Maes and Lambert Doomer. Following their successful showing at the Frick Collection in New York, the works will be presented in 17th century frames from the Fondation Custodia, which have been recently restored especially for this occasion.
All the drawings in the exhibition come from the private collection of Frederik (Frits) Johannes Lugt (1884-1970), regarded as one of the twentieth century’s greatest private collectors of drawings. He was a major historian of Dutch art and an accomplished amateur who at a young age established himself as an outstanding collector. Lugt was especially interested in landscapes and portraits, and he thought of the 17th century in the Netherlands as his “golden age”, with Rembrandt as his great hero. Over the years he built an excellent and nearly complete set of etchings and a superb selection of drawings by the artist – most of which, impressively, are still today ascribed to Rembrandt – together with a coherent collection of works by artists in Rembrandt’s circle, including pupils and followers. The impressive collection is managed by the Fondation Custodia, a partner of the Institut Néerlandais in Paris.
Frits Lugt’s collection of drawings by Rembrandt and his circle has been studied in depth over the last years by Peter Schatborn, former head of the Rijksprentenkabinet, the national print room at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Schatborn is the international expert on 17th century drawings, in particular by Rembrandt, whose work has given rise to a number of revised attributions, recently published in the catalogue raisonné of the Frits Lugt Collection. The exhibition celebrates his publication that meticulously documents the drawings by Rembrandt and his circle in the Frits Lugt Collection. These new attributions will be presented and explained to the public in an exhibition room focused on this fascinating research.
From the museum website, 9 February 2011
Frits Lugt (1884-1970) a montré dès son plus jeune âge une prédilection pour Rembrandt. Durant sa longue vie de collectionneur, il a su assembler un ensemble splendide de dessins du maître hollandais et de feuilles d’artistes de son cercle, élèves, amis et suiveurs. Cette collection a fait l’objet d’une étude approfondie par Peter Schatborn, ancien conservateur en chef du Rijksprentenkabinet d’Amsterdam et éminent connaisseur de l’art du dessin du xviie siècle et de Rembrandt en particulier. À l’occasion de la publication du catalogue raisonné – résultat de ses recherches qui ont donné lieu à de nombreuses nouvelles attributions, – une sélection d’oeuvres de ce fonds exceptionnel est exposée à la Frick Collection à New York (15 février-22 mai), puis à l’Institut Néerlandais à Paris.
Les dessins seront présentés dans des cadres anciens de la Collection Frits Lugt.