Rembrandt and Vermeer on show at Louvre Abu Dhabi
Two of Johannes Vermeer’s most celebrated paintings will hang next to each other for the first time in 300 years as part of a new exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi that celebrates the Dutch masters.
Rembrandt, Vermeer and the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Leiden Collection and the Musee du Louvre, features 95 artworks.
They include 22 paintings and drawings by Rembrandt.
Vemeer’s A Young Woman Seated at the Virginals and The Lacemaker, which are painted on canvas cut from the same bolt of cloth, will be among the main attractions.
“This is the very first time a blockbuster exhibition of the Dutch masters has come to the UAE and it is extremely special that two Vermeer paintings from the same piece of canvas have been hung next to each other for the first time in 300 years,” said Manuel Rabate, director of Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The exhibition, which opens on February 14, explores Rembrandt’s relationship with his peers, including Vermeer, Jan Lievens, Frans van Mieris and Frans Hals.
During the 17th and early 18th century, the Netherlands became a centre of trade, scientific discovery and creativity, otherwise referred to as the Golden Age.
The show will assess the artistic traditions that flourished during this era and trace the roots of the “fijnschilders” – or fine painters – school of painting from this time.
The fijnschilders are recognised for their meticulous renderings of daily life.
The works on display by Rembrandt are taken from across his career, and include Self-Portrait with Shaded Eyes and Minerva in her Study.
They will be displayed alongside works by other artists to illustrate the way the group influenced each other.
Blaise Ducos, chief curator of Dutch and Flemish paintings at the Musee du Louvre, said that the exhibition told an “extraordinary story” of the Golden Age.
Rembrandt, Vermeer and the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Leiden Collection and the Musee du Louvre runs from February 14 to May 18 at Louvre Abu Dhabi. Visit louvreabudhabi.ae
The exhibition will feature 95 artworks from the Dutch Golden Age