REMBRANDT
words edel cassidy
Rembrandt’s finest prints go on display at the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
A
new exhibition at Cork’s Crawford Art Gallery invites visitors to encounter the astonishing work of Rembrandt van Rijn. Rembrandt in
Print presents fifty of the Dutch Master’s finest works.
‘A variety of subject matters from portraiture to landscape, and from the biblical to the everyday, are explored in the exhibition’
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) is widely hailed as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden
The works featured in the exhibition are on
Age and one of the most experimental printmakers
loan from the Ashmolean Museum, the Univer-
of the seventeenth century. This exhibition presents
sity of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology,
Rembrandt as an unrivalled storyteller through a se-
which was founded in 1683. Rembrandt in Print
lection of outstanding prints ranging from 1630 until
presents fifty of the Dutch Master’s finest works
the late 1650s. Through these works, viewers will
from the museum’s world-class collection of over
be exposed to the artist’s inventive techniques and
200 etchings and drypoints.
extraordinary skills. The prints, which are almost 400
Ashmolean curator, An Van Camp says: ‘This
years old, are perfectly preserved and, though small in collection of fifty works is the best-of-the-best of scale, reveal the exquisite, rich detail of his work. While most other contemporary printmakers
the Ashmolean’s outstanding Rembrandt prints collection. He created extraordinary prints by using
made prints of historical, religious, or mythological
existing techniques in his own artistic and innovative
subjects, Rembrandt also delighted in presenting
way. His prints range from squiggly, drawing-like
everyday scenes. The exhibition includes a range
sketches to more pictorial, heavily hatched composi-
of these images such as intimate family studies, a
tions. While seeming quite diverse at first sight,
selection of life-drawn nudes, and carefully detailed
all Rembrandt’s printed works are characterised by
characters observed on the streets. A variety of
his talent for storytelling and his keen observational
subject matters from portraiture to landscape,
skills. His subjects are steeped in drama, adding
and from the biblical to the everyday, are explored
atmosphere to views of the Dutch countryside or
in the exhibition, revealing not only Rembrandt’s
imbuing biblical scenes with lively characters.’
extraordinary talent but also his playful exploration
The Crawford Art Gallery is the only Irish venue
of printmaking techniques. One such technique was
where Rembrandt’s prints will be on view. It is fitting
drypoint, which he found created the velvety black
that the Dutch Master is exhibited in the historic
textures and tonal qualities associated with painting.
gallery at Emmet Place, which was once the city’s
He also experimented with various papers and was
Custom House when Cork was a thriving merchant
particularly drawn to Japan paper as its yellowish
port and there was a successful shipping trade be-
color was ideal especially for his landscape prints.
tween Ireland and Holland. Rembrandt in Print is sponsored by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and is on display at the Crawford Art Gallery from 17 September 2021 – 9 January 2022. Exhibition highlights include:
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ANTHOLOGY
