‘A REVELATION’
New Allentown Art Museum exhibit offers a deeper look at Rembrandt’s ‘Portrait of a Young Woman’
Allentown Art Museum’s “Portrait of a Young Woman” is more than a painting by one of the greatest visual artists in history.
A new Rembrandt exhibit is going to help you find out why.
“There’s a lot to tell about this one painting, and it’s place in the world and how it came to be here, “said Elaine Mehalakes, vice president of Curatorial Affairs at Allentown Art Museum.
“Rembrandt Revealed” will open on Jan. 24 and the new exhibit will offer a rare, deep dive into the conservation and re-attribution of the well-known painting that’s been a part of the museum’s collection for the past six decades.
“For those who have seen it, this will be a revelation,” Mehalakes said. “I’m hoping what people will get out of this show is the incredible life story of one object in our collection and how much that has to tell us.”
“Rembrandt Revealed” promises to be unlike any exhibit held at the museum, offering visitors the chance to see how conservation science has helped the museum better understand the painting and its origins.
Throughout much of its history, the 400-year-old painting was believed to be a Rembrandt — a piece by the famous Dutch Baroque painter and printmaker. “Portrait of a Young Woman” was created in Amsterdam in 1632, at a time when the city was a global place for trade and had a vital place in the world’s economy.
The painting then traveled to France in the 18th century, during the time of the French Revolution and to America in the early 20th century as the U.S. rose to global prominence.
“It’s fascinating to look at it that way
— this intersection of international relations and the transfer of power,” Mehalakes added.
The painting eventually came to the Allentown Art Museum as part of a collection donated by Samuel Kress, a businessman and philanthropist who was born in the Lehigh Valley.
In 1970, the history of the painting took a surprising turn. Scholars studied the piece and determined that “Portrait
of a Young Woman” was a piece by one of Rembrandt’s students, not the master himself.
For nearly 50 years, that “demotion” stood — until
2018, when the painting was sent to NYU’s Conservation Center for routine conservation. During that process, scientific evaluations including X-rays and the removal of layers of varnish uncovered new evidence that led the painting to be re-attributed to Rembrandt.
The ruling drew much fanfare and celebration in early 2020 and the museum planned to roll out “Rembrandt Revealed” in April. COVID19 hit Pennsylvania in March, forcing cultural institutions like the Allentown Art Museum to close to in-person visitors for months, forcing the delay of the exhibit.
Now, with on-again/ off-again restrictions ordered by the state lifted, the museum is proceeding with the opening of the exhibit.
“I’m very excited. It’s been a long time coming. It had to be postponed because of the pandemic and now we can share everything about it.”
The goal is to share the process of how the painting was once again attributed to Rembrandt. The piece will then become even more meaningful to those who see it.
For Mehalakes, the opportunity to work with scholars and develop the materials for the exhibit has been an honor.
“It feels incredibly momentous,” she said.
“Rembrandt Revealed” will be on view through May 2. It will then travel to Canada for exhibition in a Rembrandt show at the National Gallery in Ottawa before returning to Allentown for a second special exhibition in the fall.
Info: The museum is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday to Sunday; admission on Sunday is free; because of the expected popularity of the exhibition, reserving a timed ticket on the Museum’s website is recommended: https:// www.allentownartmuseum. org/exhibitions/rembrandtrevealed/