2019 is the Year of Rembrandt, marking 350 years since the artist’s death on 4 October 1669. Museums across the world, from Amsterdam to the Arabian Gulf, are hosting exhibitions to commemorate the turbulent life and extraordinary artistic legacy of this greatest of all Dutch Golden Age masters.
At Kenwood, home to Rembrandt’s celebrated Self-portrait with Two Circles, English Heritage will mark this special anniversary year with a free, temporary display showcasing this iconic painting. Begun in ca.1665, Self-portrait with Two Circles offers one of the most distinctive and defining images of the artist in his late years and has been described as ‘the single greatest painting in a British collection’.
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), Self Portrait with Two Circles, ca. 1665-1669
The Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood House, London
Opening on 4 October, Rembrandt #nofilter will explore how the artist presents himself for posterity in this masterpiece of technical brilliance and psychological power. Juxtaposing the ruthless scrutiny of Rembrandt’s timeless self-portrait with the transience of enhanced and filtered images of the selfie age, the painting will be displayed alongside a new, digital artwork, generated by visitors over the course of the display.