Rembrandt and the Passion
15 September – 2 December 2012
Hunterian Art Gallery
Admission charge

Rembrandt provides the focus for a major new exhibition at The Hunterian in 2012. ‘Rembrandt and the Passion’ brings together a number of key loans from such iconic institutions as the British Museum; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the National Gallery, London; Alte Pinakothek, Munich; Glasgow Museums and the National Galleries of Scotland.

Rembrandt’s reputation as one of the greatest Old Master painters is undisputed and the exhibition is expected to attract visitors from around the world. 'Rembrandt and the Passion' will give visitors a unique opportunity to see a number of important paintings and drawings not seen before in Scotland. In total the exhibition features some 40 works.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is Rembrandt's Entombment sketch, a beautifully-preserved oil painting from The Hunterian’s own collection and one of the greatest Old Master pictures collected by Hunterian founder Dr William Hunter.
 
The most famous of all Dutch painters, Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) was a master of portraiture but his greatest desire was to succeed as a history painter. Biblical subjects form a key element of Rembrandt’s work, in both painting and etching. His dramatic Entombment Sketch is connected with the most important commission of his career - seven paintings of the Passion of Christ produced for Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange, between 1632 and 1646.
 
‘Rembrandt and the Passion’ tells the story of the Entombment Sketch and considers its primary purpose, both in relation to Rembrandt’s other oil sketches and also to his other works depicting the Passion of Christ. It considers the influence that earlier and contemporary artists had on the work and will compare the Sketch with a number of paintings, drawings and prints by other prominent artists such as Rubens and Lievens.
 
The exhibition reveals new information about the Sketch, including the results of scientific research conducted at the National Gallery, London, using x-ray and pigment analysis. This research has confirmed the dating of the painting as well as the relationship with other oil sketches by Rembrandt, two of which will feature in the exhibition.
 
The original function of The Hunterian’s painting is debated by art historians and the exhibition will test the notion that it is a study for an etching that Rembrandt planned but never made. A 1656 list of Rembrandt’s possessions refers to the painting as hanging in his living room, suggesting that the work had a personal significance.
 
‘Rembrandt and the Passion’ opens at the Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow, in September 2012 and will be accompanied by a special events programme, conference and publication. The exhibition is supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and by KLM/Airfrance.

First published: 31 January 2012

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