and Birmingham Museums Trust, the exhibition will showcase 58 prints on loan from the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, along with Rembrandt prints from Birmingham’s own collection, and 20th century prints from two Midlands’ artists, Harry Eccleston and Raymond Cowern.
The exhibition, titled “Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White – Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum,” will open on Thursday 6 March, 2025 at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. This is the first time that the artist’s prints have been brought out of the Netherlands as a collection and it is the only opportunity to see the exhibition in the UK.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. His atmospheric paintings are well-known, but he also produced more than 300 prints. This exhibition highlights his mastery of the medium and explores his impact on the field of printmaking.
The exhibition will feature 58 prints on loan from the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, alongside Rembrandt prints from Birmingham’s own collection, as well as 20th century prints from two Midlands’ artists, Harry Eccleston and Raymond Cowern. Both of these artists were skilled painters and printmakers, like Rembrandt.
Born and brought up in Birmingham, Cowern made etchings of the countryside of the Midlands, while Black Country-born Eccleston was inspired by the region’s industrial landscapes. Both artists have a claim to fame, with Cowern being the first full-time banknote designer for the Bank of England and Eccleston being inspired by the region’s industrial landscapes.
Unlike many artists before him, Rembrandt valued printmaking as an art form in its own right, rather than just a means of reproducing existing compositions. This exhibition explores his strengths as an experimental etcher, particularly his visual storytelling and focus on drawing ‘from life’. It also showcases how his graphic work has served as a source of inspiration for artists in the centuries since.
Visitors to the exhibition will have the unique opportunity to get up close to the prints and appreciate the intricacy of Rembrandt’s art with the aid of small magnifying glasses.
Epco Runia, head of collections at the Rembrandt House Museum, expressed his excitement for the exhibition, stating, “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.”
Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, also expressed their enthusiasm for the exhibition, stating, “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, added, “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 honour. 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.”
The exhibition, co-organised by the American Federation of Arts and the Rembrandt House Museum, will be on display at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery until 1 June 2025. Tickets are available for purchase on the Birmingham Museums website.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.