W i t h t h e ex cl u si v e co l l ab o r at i o n o f :
W i t h t h e co l l ab o r at i o n o f :
W i t h t h e su p p o r t o f :
"Rembrandt andAmsterdamPortraiture,1590?1670"providesabroadsurveyof theportrait genereinAmsterdamduringthe seventeenthcenturythroughthefamousDutchpainter,aroundwhomtheexhibitionrevolves. Thecareful selectionof worksgivesanideaof what portraitswerelikebeforeRembrandt (1606?1669) movedfromhisnative Leidentoacitythat offeredgreater market potential. Theinnovationsheadopted?whichwerecontinuedbyhisfollowers, imitators,andmost direct rivals?theevolutionof hispainting, andtheturntakenbythegenreinthe1650sarethesubject of the exhibition.
TheexhibSitio n ections
TRADITIONANDINNOVATION Althoughportraitureof theearlyseventeenthcentury wasfirmlyrootedinartistictradition,novel features weregraduallyincorporated.Around1600,artists suchasbrothersPieter andAert PieterszandCornelis Ketel exploredthree-quarter-lengthportraitswith architectural backgroundsinwhichimportancewas attachedtoafewhighlyexpressivedetails,suchas thehands. Thisfirst roomincludesgoodexamplesof thetypeof peoplevisitorswill findportrayedasthey walkround: not somuchnoblesandchurchauthorities asmerchants, membersof thecity?seliteand bourgeoisfamilies,artists,andgovernorsof institutions. Somearedepictedaloneandothersin groups,asinFransBadens?s"CivicGuardsmenfrom theCompanyof CaptainArent tenGrootenhuysand Lieutenant JacobFloriszCloeck"(1608), whichhas beenhungintheMuseum?sentrancehall duetoits largesize. Badens?sportrait of GerardReynst (1613) is alsonoteworthy.
ANEWGENERATION Four paintersstandout amongRembrandt?sdirect predecessors: Cornelisvander Voort, Werner van denValckert,NicolaesEliaszPickenoy,andThomas deKeyser. Vander Voort brought noveltiestothe genrewhichincludedportrayinghisclientswitha morenatural appearance,ascanbeseeninhis "Governorsof theHospitals"(1617) or thelikeness of MargarethaVos(about 1621).VandenValckert wasaninnovator whointroducedportraits historiĂŠs(historicizedportraits) with well-balancedcompositions.Thistypeof representation,illustratedbyhis"FamilyPortrait asanAllegoryonCaritas,withaSelf-Portrait of theArtist"(1623),isalsofoundintherepertoireof ClaesMoyaert. Pickenoy,drawingontradition, employedtouchesof veryrefinedbrushworkinhis paintingstocreatechiaroscuroeffects,whichhe combinedwithacareful studyof thesitter?spose. DeKeyser?ssuccessstemmedfromtheattention hepaidtohisfiguresinrelationtothe surroundingspaceandtheharmonybetween them.
REMBRANDT'SEARLYPORTRAITS Rembrandt arrivedinAmsterdamin1631.Duringhisinitial yearsthere,thepainter anddealer HendrickUylenburgh playedanessential roleinintroducinghimtotheart market andsocial circles. Rembrandt?searliest portraitsreflect the knowledgeandachievementsof hisforerunnersinthe profession,suchasWerner vandenValckert,fromwhomhe borrowed?andtransformed?afewdevices,combining themwithothersof hisowninvention,suchasthe movement or actioninwhichhissittersareengaged.The compositionalunityandcoherenceof theseearlyAmsterdam picturesearnedhimgreat success. Thesenovelties?for example, asubject?sturnedheadandinterruptedactivity? canbeseeninworkssuchas"Portrait of aManat aWriting Desk"(1631),inthegentlytwistedbodyof the"Portrait of a YoungGentleman"(1633?34),andintheposturesof the womanwhoispossiblyhissister ElisabethvanRijn. This roomalsodisplaysafewexamplesof "tronies",suchashe "Bust of anOldManinFanciful Costume"(1635). This typicallyDutchformof representation,whichwasnot a portrait assuchbut thedepictionof atype, developedinto anartisticgenreinitsownright.
REMBRANDTANDHIS COMPETITORS Rembrandt establishedhimself inAmsterdamat atimewhen thecityhadalargegroupof portrait painterswhobenefited fromtherisingandincreasinglydiscerningdemandfor these worksasaresult of thecity?sthrivingeconomyandgrowing art market. Oneof Rembrandt?smost famousrivalsduring theseearlyyearswasFransHals,whowasbasedinHaarlem but receivedimportant commissionsfromAmsterdam.Hals wasasuperbportraitist whocapturedhismodelsincasual, highlynatural poses. Thissectionincludestooanexampleof achildportrait executedfromaboldviewpoint byJacob Backer. DirckSantvoort isrepresentedbytwogroupportraits, themagnificent "GovernessesandWardressesof theSpinhuis" (1638) andthe"Portrait of aBoy"possiblyidentifiedasJanvan Loon(1636). Finally,theroomfeaturesworksbytheGerman JoachimvonSandrart,oneof theforeignartistswhotried their fortuneintheflourishingAmsterdam.
ACHANGEOFSTYLE Rembrandt?sproductionof portraitsandother typesof paintingsdwindledconsiderablyinthe1640s. Thesewere hardtimesfor theartist,ashiswifeSaskiadiedin1642 andtowardstheendof thedecadeheendedupincourt over hisrelationshipwithGeertjeDircks,ahousehold servant. Alsoin1642,however,hecompletedoneof the crowningachievementsof universal painting, the"Night Watch". Other youngartistsbeganrisingtoprominenceon thesceneandadoptednovel formulasthat heraldedashift intastes. OnewasGovert Flinck,whosepaintingsaremore vividlycoloredanddisplaytheinfluenceof Anthonyvan Dyck; another wasRembrandt?spupil Gerbrandvanden Eeckhout,whoseinitial echoesof hismaster?steachings gavewaytonewstylisticapproaches. Aroundthistimea fashionemergedfor smallformat portraitsshowingclients ineverydayscenes,suchasthe"SurgeonJacobFranszand hisFamily"(1669) byEgbert vanHeemskerck.
DIVERGINGPATHS From1640onwardstheportrait market was dominatedbypainterssuchasBartholomeusvander Helst,FerdinandBol,andGovert Flinck,whopaid closeattentiontoposeanddepictedtheir sittersin carefullyarrangedsettings,asillustratedbyBol?s portrait of FrederickSluysken(1652). Further examplesareVander Helst?s"Portrait of aManwith Documents"(about 1655),restoredspeciallyfor the exhibition,and"Headmenof theArquebusiers?Civic GuardHouse"(1655),whichdisplayagentlybalanced lightingandstrikingcolors. Duringthoseyearsthe portraitistsof Amsterdamsought inspirationin modelsfromother partsof Europeandachieved elegant andrefinedresults. Rembrandt reactedtothe market changesinanabsolutelypersonal manner, applyingtohisworkswhat hasbeencalledhis?rough manner??hithertoreservedfor "tronies"?for which hewashailedasacelebrityoutsidehisnative country. Thepair of portraitsinWashington,datedto around1654?55,isanexcellent examplefromthis period.
REMBRANDTANDHIS COMPETITORS:FINALYEARS PortraitureinAmsterdamunderwent amajor changeinthe 1660sand1670sowingtothesuccessof certainimported trends,asillustratedbythepicturesinthissection,where therefinedposes,clothing, andgesturesof thesitters? merchantsor dignitaries?areconsonant withEuropean courtlytastes. Thesenewdevelopmentsareperfectly embodiedbythepaintingsof JacobvanLoo,JĂźrgenOvens, andKarel Dujardin. Inthisfinal stageof hiscareer, Rembrandt neverthelessremainedfaithful toastylein whichshadowsanddarkandcontrastingtonesare predominant andwherethefiguresareconstructedfrom brushstrokesloadedwiththick, viscouspaint that imbue thewholeworkwithexpressiveness. Theportraitsof his sonTitus,"YoungManinaBlackBeret"(about 1662),and themythological sceneof "VenusandCupid"(about 1657) ? for whichheisassumedtohaveusedhispartner HendrickjeStoffelsandtheir daughter Corneliaasmodels ?areshroudedinamatchlesswarmth.
REMBRANDT: ETCHEDPORTRAITS Throughout hisartisticcareer,inparallel tohisworkas apainter,Rembrandt wasextremelyactiveasa printmaker andmademanyportraitsof membersof his closest circle,suchashisrelativesandfriends. Notable amongthemisthesuperbetchingof JanSix(1647), whichillustratesthemasteryheachievedinthe gradationof grays. The"Self-Portrait"(1639) showingthe artist withhisarmleaningonastonesill recallsa typical ItalianRenaissanceportrait. Anoil sketchand etchingof thecalligrapher LievenWillemszCoppenol havebeenchosentoillustratehisworkingmethods, together withhisetchingplateandprint of theprint dealer Clement deJonghe. Tobringtheshowtoaclose,thisroomincludesthe impressivesurvivingfragment of Rembrandt?s"Anatomy Lessonof Dr. JanDeijman"(1656),whoseoriginal compositionisknownthroughadrawing.
RELATEDCONTENT Virtual visit,activitiesandSocial media
INTRODUCTORYVIDEO
VIRTUALVISIT
ACTIVITIES - Temporaryexhibitionfocus: "Rembrandt and thePortrait inAmsterdam,1590- 1670" - Facetofacewiththeportrait intheageof Rembrandt
SOCIALMEDIA
CATALOGUE
- Textsof: Norbert Middelkoop,DoloresDelgado, ClairevandenDonk,SebastienDudokvanHeel, Rudi Ekkart,MaartenHell,PatrickLarsen, CharlesMacKay, Volker Manuth,Tomvander Molen,JudithNoormann,LeonorevanSlotenand MariekedeWinkel - Dimensions: 24x27cm(Highxwide) - 264pages - Languages: SpanishandEnglish - Hardcover: ?36.10 - Paperback: ?30.40
TEACHINGGUIDE HowwasAmsterdaminthe17thcentury?How doesit relatetotheworldweliveintoday?Based onthesequestions,theteachingguide "Rembrandt andAmsterdamportraiture,15901670"invitesyoutolearnabout theninechapters of theexhibition Authors: BegoñadelaRivaEspañaandMaría ÁngelesRodríguezCutillas Language: Spanish 13x18cm 56pages
RRP:?5.70
INFORMATIONANDCREDITS
Dates February18toMay24,2020 Organiser MuseoNacional ThyssenBornemisza Paseodel Prado,8- 28014,Madrid mtb@ museothyssen.org
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Openinghours TuesdaystoSundays, 10.00to19.00 Saturdays,10.00to21.00 ClosedonMondaysand1May.
Theexhibitionhasrestingbenchesinthelast rooms Photographsareallowedexcept for someworks Audioguideservice AvailableinSpanish,English,Frenchand Italian Visitor services Telephone: (+34) 917911370 Email: cavthyssen@ museothyssen.org
Transport Limitedcapacitywithhourlypassevery15minutes Subwaystation: BancodeEspaĂąa Ticket officeopenupto30minutesbeforeclosing Buses: 1,2,5,9, 10,14,15, 20,27,34,37,45,51,52, 53,74,146,150 Visitorsareaskedtoleavethegalleries5minutes Trainstations: Atocha, Sol andRecoletos beforeclosing 18May,International Dayof Museums,freeaccess, from10.00to19.00
TICKETPRICES Singleticket It'savailabletovisit inthesameday,all museum, includingtemporaryexhibitions - Standardtickets: ?13.00 - Groupticket (7or morepeople): ?11.00 - Reducedpriceticket: ?9.00 Moreinformation
EXHIBITIONFACTSHEET Title: "Rembrandt andAmsterdamportraiture,1590-1670" Organiser: MuseoNacional Thyssen-Bornemisza Withthecollaborationof theComunidaddeMadridandwiththe support of JTI Venueanddates: Madrid, MuseoNacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, 18Februaryto24May2020. Curator: Norbert Middelkoop,Curator at theAmsterdam Museum Technical curator: DoloresDelgadoPeĂąa,Curator of OldMaster Paintingat theMuseoNacional Thyssen-Bornemisza Number of works: 97(80paintings,16printsy1copperplate) Publications: CataloguewithtextsbyNorbert E.Middelkoop, DoloresDelgado,MaertenHell,Rudi Ekkart,ClairevandenDonk andother authors.Explanatoryguide.
CREDITS Editorial cordinator ITArea,WebandNewMediaDepartment of Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza Creditsandlegal disclaimers © MuseoNacional Thyssen-Bornemisza,Madrid All thecontent featuredinthisapplicationisprotectedby copyright andmaynot beproducedwithout theprevious authorisationof itsrespectiveowners.Theworksof art that havebeenreproducedarealsoprotectedbycopyright andit is forbiddentoreproducethemwhollyor inpart
Cover image Rembrandt "Portrait of aMan,probablyHermanAuxbrebis" Oil oncanvas,99.5× 82.5 © Washington,National Galleryof Art,Widener Collection