At a time when cultural institutions are closing or opening for us every moment, it is very difficult to find the right time to visit the gallery. Fortunately, the exhibition Rembrandt: Portrait of a Man in the Kinsky Palace on Old Town Square, prepared by the National Gallery, was pardoned and, under certain very strict measures, can be opened even during the so-called "lockdown". Although the visitor has to stand in line for more than an hour, what awaits him inside is definitely worth a little discomfort.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, a Dutch painter and printmaker, is considered one of the most important painters of Western art. His work belongs to the so-called "Dutch Golden Age" in the 17th century, when Dutch society achieved unprecedented economic and cultural prosperity. In his work, Rembrandt masters the chiaroscuro technique, known since the time of the Italian painter Caravaggio, and demonstrates a deep knowledge of iconography and a perfect mastery of figurative painting. Portraits, self-portraits, scenes of the Dutch landscape, mythological and biblical motifs are repeated in the themes of his works.
All these themes can also be found at Rembrandt's Prague exhibition. These are first-class works, borrowed not only from important domestic and international museums and galleries, such as the Moravian Gallery in Brno, the Archbishopric of Olomouc, the Royal Canon of Premonstratensians in Strahov, The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, The National Gallery London, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Albertina in Vienna, but also from private collectors.
Perhaps the most valuable piece of the exhibition is the painting of the Scholar in the Study Room from the collections of the National Gallery in Prague from 1634. The portrait captures not only the physical form of the unknown man, but also his rich spiritual life can be read from the expression on his face. The alleged estimated current value of this work would be close to 4 billion Czech crowns on the art market today, but even that may not be the final amount for such a gem. Human transience is represented by the painting of Cupid blowing soap bubbles from 1634. It is a typical example of Rembrandt's work of the thirties of the 17th century with a strong compositional diagonal, bright colors and sensitive work with light and shadow. In the portrait of Saskia van Uylenburgh, Rembrandt captures the likeness of his future wife in a straw hat. The young, then only 21-year-old girl who charmed the master smiles coquettishly in the painting, giving the portrait a very optimistic impression. On the other hand, the painting The Reading Monk from Rembrandt's later period shows a seated monk in the shadow, holding a lighted document in his hand in front of him. His expression radiated deep peace, darkness and wisdom at the same time.
But Rembrandt was not only a great painter, but also an excellent draftsman, engraver and printmaker. His precise graphics depict biblical motifs in the finest detail. For example, the monumental print Three Crosses from 1653 is rightfully considered one of his most important graphic works. He was the first artist in the world to realize such a large-scale composition using only drypoint, creating a work so impressive that it deeply touches every viewer.
In the Kinski Palace, Rembrandt's works are suitably complemented by the works of his contemporaries, but also of his followers, such as the paintings of his close friend and also a native of his native Leiden, Jan Lievens, or others such as Gerrit Dou, Ferdinand Bol, Govert Flinck or Christopher Paudiss. The exhibition will be punctuated by a modern understanding of Rembrandt's work in the works of leading contemporary artists, which point to the fact that the legacy of his work is still alive after more than 350 years.
Text and photo: Vladimír Dubeň