Rembrandt and His Time: Masterpieces from The Leiden Collection explores the extraordinary breadth and depth of artistic innovation in the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic. Following the development of Dutch art through a selection of 74 history paintings, genre scenes, and portraits from about 1620 to 1690, the exhibition provides a comprehensive understanding of the history of Dutch art during its Golden Age through The Leiden Collection.
Jan Lievens (1607-1674), Self-Portrait, ca. 1629-30
The Leiden Collection, New York
During the Golden Age, Dutch artists became interested in naturalistic depictions of the world around them, which provided insight into the human experience. This exhibition examines the proliferation of this interest through paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn and Jan Lievens, as well as those by Rembrandt’s first pupil, Gerrit Dou, and “the prince” of Dou’s pupils, Frans van Mieris, both of whom developed the fine manner of painting known as fijnschilderij. In addition, the exhibition explores the burst of creativity that took place in other Dutch cities, spurred by artists such as Frans Hals, Hendrick ter Bruggen, Gabriel Metsu, Jan Steen, and Johannes Vermeer.