The National Trust is inviting visitors to slow down and reconnect – with themselves and with art – through a year-long nationwide tour of one of its most celebrated paintings: Self-portrait wearing a Feathered Bonnet by Rembrandt van Rijn.
As part of the initiative to encourage new ways of engaging with paintings, it is expected that visitors will discover the mental health benefits of “slow looking” at art, which include helping deal with the demands of a busy world.
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), Self-portrait wearing a Feathered Bonnet, photo: National Trust Images – James Dobson
The average museum or gallery visitor spends just eight seconds looking at each artwork. The Trust is challenging that norm by offering seating and audio guides with meditative prompts that encourage viewers to linger with Rembrandt’s masterpiece. Visitors will have the option to explore the painting’s history through audio guides featuring insights from conservators, art historians, and even imagined reflections from Rembrandt himself, or to simply sit quietly and enjoy spending time with a masterpiece of Dutch art.
The painting itself has a remarkable story. Once thought to be the work of a follower, it was reattributed to Rembrandt himself after extensive conservation and scientific analysis in 2013. It is now recognized as one of the great treasures of the National Trust’s collection.
The Rembrandt tour starts at Kingston Lacy, from 12 September 2025 to 16 November 2025. It returns after Christmas from 12 January to 22 March 2026. It will then head north to Dunham Massey in Cheshire from 27 March to 12 July 2026 and then to Upton House in Warwickshire from 17 July to 8 November 2026.