Thanks to the loan of a museum pass from a local friend, I was able to obtain a hard-to-get ticket and entrance time to a new major retrospective of the works of Holland’s greatest master, Rembrandt van Rijn. The exhibition was devoted to Rembrandt’s works from the last years of his life in Amsterdam, from 1606 until his death in 1669. The exhibit consisted of 90 paintings, drawings and prints that showcased Rembrandt at the height of his powers.
“Emerging from the shadow of tragic personal losses and financial setbacks, Rembrandt produced some of his finest works in his final years. By experimenting with paint and light, he achieved an unparalleled emotional depth, leading to his most daring, individual and intimate works.”
Altogether, this exhibit, along with some of the works highlighted in the Rijks Museum, was a compelling journey into universal themes, via landscapes, historical scenes, and most of all, faces–that were all Dutch. Seeing these paintings, nicely arranged thematically, particularly his portraits, I felt I was looking through the old master’s eyes right into the Dutch soul.
