From the museum press release, 3 June 2009
Judith Leyster’s 400th birthday will be celebrated at the National Gallery of Art with an exhibition of ten of her most engaging paintings, joined by some 20 works by 17th-century contemporaries, including her presumed teacher Frans Hals and her husband Jan Miense Molenaer, as well as musical instruments of the period depicted in the art. “Judith Leyster (1609–1660)” will be on view from June 21 through November 29, 2009, in the Dutch Cabinet Galleries in the Gallery’s West Building.
“Leyster’s oeuvre consists only of about 20 known works, yet her use of bold colors, dramatic lighting, and vigorous brushwork have established her as one of the foremost painters of her generation,” said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art. “The Gallery is delighted to celebrate Leyster’s 400th birthday with this selection of her works — our Self-Portrait as the centerpiece — paired with loans from American and European collections.”
The Frans Hals Museum in Leyster’s hometown of Haarlem will be hosting a European version of this exhibition, to include many of the works seen at the National Gallery of Art, as well as additional works in both private and public European collections. The exhibition will be on display there from December 2009 until May 2010.
Support
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Saunders III