Information from the museum, 11 May 2009
Within the framework of the exhibition Jan Lievens (1607-1674). Loopbaan van een wonderkind (Jan Lievens (1607-1674). A child prodigy’s career)’ Prof. Dr. Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., curator of Baroque Painting at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. will give a lecture on 18 May 2009 at 3 pm.
Jan Lievens. A Dutch Master Rediscovered
Jan Lievens (1607-1674) is one of the most fascinating and enigmatic Dutch artists of the seventeenth century. Although often considered a follower of Rembrandt, Lievens was, in fact, a child prodigy who was already highly praised in his native Leiden in the early 1620s, before Rembrandt even began his career. Daring and innovative as a painter, draughtsman and printmaker, Lievens’ character studies, genre scenes, landscapes, portraits, and religious and allegorical images were not only highly valued in his native Leiden, but also in London, Antwerp, Amsterdam, The Hague, and Berlin, where he also lived and worked. His posthumous reputation, however, has never risen to a level commensurate with the one he enjoyed during his own lifetime. This lecture will examine Lievens’ wide-ranging career, both to assess his artistic achievements and to reflect upon the complex factors that have obscured his importance in the artistic life of the seventeenth century.
Access to the lecture is free, excluding the entrance fee to the museum.Please reserve in advance via educatie@rembrandthuis.nl or 020-5200400