Two of Rembrandt's oils and 20 of his prints and self-portraits
go on display tomorrow at the Shanghai Museum in an exhibition of
Dutch fine arts of the 17th century.
Rembrandt and the Golden Age" exhibits 17th-century Dutch
masterpieces - many never seen by Chinese outside catalogues. The
three-month exhibition also features the work of other masters and
fine decorative arts of the period.
On loan from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the exhibition is
comprised of more than 70 pieces: oil paintings, prints, silverware
and Delft faiences (glazed earthenware), among others.
Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijin's (1606-69) paintings on display
are "An Oriental" (1635) and "The Denial of St Peter" (1660).
His prints and self-portraits are also exhibited.
The show is divided into eight parts: "The Artists and Their
World," "Still-Life Painting and the Applied Arts," "The City,"
"The Countryside," "Religious Images and Objects," "Burghers,
Regents and Aristocrats," "The Republic and the Dutch East Indies"
and "Genre."
They illuminate the multifaced social life in the Dutch
Republic.
"As a great master in the use of light and shadow, Rembrandt
lightened the whole world with his art," says Chen Xiejun, curator
at Shanghai Museum. "This is a rare opportunity to see masterpieces
we have only seen in catalogues before."
Born in Leiden, Rembrandt attended the University of Leiden at
the age of 14. He soon left to pursue art and eventually became
enormously successful. The master seemed to have it all.
However, within a span of five years, each of his three children
died in infancy. Eventually, he had a healthy son named Titus. His
wife died a year later.
Rembrandt lived well beyond his means as a successful artist,
teacher and art dealer. He declared bankruptcy in 1656.
"Self-Portrait in a Soft Hat and Embroidered Cloak," an etching
and drypoint print, enables viewers to see the man himself when he
was 24 years old. Rembrandt produced many self-portraits to
practice depicting the human face and emotions. He portrays himself
in many different moods and dress.
The highlight of the exhibition is Rembrandt's "An Oriental,"
featuring a man in a heavy turban decorated with a gold chain and
anchored by a clasp. In the sparkling highlights of the gold chain,
the clasp and a necklace, Rembrandt displays his matchless
technique.
"Even one dot he used could change the whole effect of the
tableau," says Wang Yuhong, a Shanghai realism painter. "That is
Rembrandt. The black or gray hues that he applied as the backdrop
seem so 'ghostly' that few artists could do them."
Besides Rembrandt, the show also features the works of his
peers.
AelbertJansz van der Schoor's "Skulls on a Table" depicts skulls
and assorted bones on a table, together with faded pink peonies, an
almost burned-down candle, and an hourglass. The message of
transitory life is clear: Even all the wisdom in books on the shelf
above the skulls cannot alter the inevitable.
Other paintings include Jan van Goyen's "View of a Town on the
River," Jacob van Ruisdael's "Bentheim Castle" and Paulus Potter's
"Cows in the Meadow Near a Farm."
Chinese porcelain and motifs influenced Dutch art through the
republic's vast trade with the East. For example, a silver
candlestick is carved with Chinese scenes and decorative motifs.
The "Chinese garden motif" was popular during that period.
Date: November 3-February 13, 9am-5pm
Address: 201 People's Ave
Admission: 20 yuan
Tel: 6372-3500
(Shanghai Daily November 2, 2007)