Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is set to host a major new exhibition of etchings by the legendary artist Rembrandt, showcasing his mastery of print. The exhibition, titled Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White—Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum, will open on March 6, 2025 and run until June 1, 2025.
Co-organised by the American Federation of Arts and the Rembrandt House Museum, this exhibition will feature the complete range of Rembrandt’s etchings, along with a select group of works by his forerunners, contemporaries, and later artists, highlighting the artist’s lasting impact on the field of printmaking.
This is the first time that Rembrandt’s etchings will be displayed outside of the Netherlands as a collection, making it a unique and exclusive opportunity for visitors in the UK.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) is widely recognized as one of the greatest artists in history. In addition to his famous paintings, he also created over 300 etchings. Unlike many of his peers, Rembrandt saw printmaking as a medium for creating original artworks, rather than just reproducing famous paintings or sculptures.
The exhibition will showcase the full range of Rembrandt’s etching output, highlighting his skill as a visual storyteller, his bold use of light and dark, and his use of self-portraits to explore aging and identity. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see select comparative works by Rembrandt’s forerunners and contemporaries, including his teacher Pieter Lastman and his pupil Ferdinand Bol.
Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, expressed their excitement for the exhibition, saying, “We are delighted to be working with the American Federation of Arts and the Rembrandt House Museum to host this significant exhibition of Rembrandt’s etchings. We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery for this exclusive opportunity to see such an important collection in the UK.”
Pauline Forlenza, director & chief executive of the American Federation of Arts, also shared her enthusiasm for the exhibition, stating, “Touring Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White in collaboration with the Rembrandt House Museum, the only institution devoted entirely to the artist’s life and work, is an incredible honor. Our partnership with the Rembrandt House Museum will allow us to bring these momentous etchings out of the Netherlands for the first time as a collection, for the benefit of audiences in the United States and the United Kingdom so that they can experience Rembrandt’s work directly.”
Epco Runia, head of collections at the Rembrandt House Museum, added, “We at the Rembrandt House Museum are delighted to bring Rembrandt’s fascinating prints to Birmingham. With this exhibition, we hope to demonstrate that each of Rembrandt’s prints is a work of art in its own right. If you take the time to look at them closely, a whole world opens up to you: a world in black and white, but with enormous visual richness.”
Tickets for the exhibition are now on sale and can be purchased through the Birmingham Museum and Gallery website. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see Rembrandt’s etchings in the UK.
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