Rembrandt in China

Rembrandt in China

Rembrandt himself could hardly have imagined such a thing: an exhibition of 75 paintings and drawings by him and his contemporaries on the far side of the world in China.

‘Rembrandt and the Golden Age’, organised by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, is to be seen in the Shanghai Museum until 13 February 2008. It is the first time the Chinese public has been able to experience first hand works by Dutch masters of the Golden Age, including Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Jacob van Ruysdael and, of course, Rembrandt himself. In addition to paintings and etchings, the exhibition also features Delft blue and silver objects.

The Shanghai Museum draws some 9,000 visitors a day when hosting a major foreign exhibition; but for those unable to attend in person, a special ‘Rembrandt in China’ website (see below) has been developed. In both Chinese and English, this unique website offers some highly original interactive features, such as customising one’s own t-shirt with a favourite Rembrandt painting.

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) is generally considered one of the very greatest artists of European art history. From a young age he was already so highly regarded that he was taking his first pupils when barely 22 years old. In many ways, Rembrandt epitomizes the Dutch Golden Age. As a portrait painter he achieved youthful success and though his work remained popular throughout his lifetime, his later years were marred by personal tragedy and financial hardship.

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is sponsored by ING and Philips and both companies are also sponsoring the current exhibition in Shanghai. ‘Rembrandt and the Golden Age’ was officially opened on 2nd November by Ronald Plasterk, the Dutch minister of Education, Culture and Science.

For more information, please refer to www.rembrandtinchina.com