Paintings by Rembrandt and his Followers

From the beginning of February and until the middle of April 2010 the Rembrandt Hall (No. 254) at the New Hermitage is closed for planned restoration of parquet. For that time the Paintings by Rembrandt and his Followers exhibition was relocated to the Nicholas Room of the Winter Palace. The museum visitors were given a rare chance to see famous canvases in a completely new space and with different lightning.

With their powerful treatment of light and shade works by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606-1669) gain from being in the framework of the huge palace interior, beyond all doubt. Large historical compositions of the master may be examined not only closely but also at a significant distance, which is rather important for their perception. It is well-known that the Dutch painter himself in his letter to Constantine Huygens, patron of arts, advised to hang his painting at a well-illuminated place so that it can be seen from a distance, then 'it would sparkle at its best'. They were trying to follow this recommendation when hanging the canvases by giving up traditional chronological display. Full field of view of each separate work becomes the main element.

The exhibition is arranged along the central axis of the room, the core of which is formed by three renowned masterpieces of the collection - The Return of the Prodigal Son, The Sacrifice of Abraham and Flora. The next 'room' is also allotted for large historical works. Here there is The Descent from the Cross and famous Danae, the painting with a truly tragic destiny (a quarter of a century ago that canvas became a victim of a vandalism act, as a result of which the painting suffered irreparable damage).

There is a number of small-size compositions to the left of the room entrance. Among them there is A Young Woman Trying Earrings and The parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, painted in grisaille technique. Restoration of lacquer for these works made it possible to see the smallest details more clearly (locks of hair, hair decorations of the young woman and a magnificent still life with old volumes and papers in the corner of the interior with vinedressers).

The Holy Family painting by Rembrandt, that has always been arousing admiration of art experts and art lovers, is displayed on a separate board. Even before it arrived to the Imperial Hermitage, when the canvas was in Paris, it had been copied by many famous artists of the 18th century, including Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806). The very first work of Rembrandt, brought to Russia in 1716, David’s Farewell to Jonathan, also received an independent place.

Diversity of the Hermitage portraits performed by Rembrandt himself as well as by the painters of his studio is especially noticeable in new surroundings. They occupy a sidewall at the beginning of the Nicholas Room. This gallery of images by the contemporaries of the great artist also includes such masterpieces of the collection as Portrait of Baartjen Martens and Portrait of the Poet Jeremias de Decker.

The part of the exhibition, which is the most remote from the entrance, is dedicated to the works of pupils of the famous Dutch (Ferdinand Bol, Jan Victors, Willem Drost), who mastered his manner of painting. Almost all these canvases arrived to the Hermitage in the 18th century under the name of Rembrandt and kept such attribution for a very long time, but were gradually related to the creative work of his followers.

The exhibition is prepared by Irina Sokolova, Doctor of culture studies, and the chief research associate of the Department of Western European Art of the State Hermitage.

Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage, at the opening

In front of Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrand Harmensz van Rijn

Portrait of the Old Man in Red is one of the masterpieces of the Hermitage collection