{"id":111749,"date":"2026-08-02T12:00:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T03:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/home.ueno.kokosil.net\/archives\/111749"},"modified":"2026-08-10T18:20:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T09:20:44","slug":"%e3%80%90%e5%9b%bd%e7%ab%8b%e8%a5%bf%e6%b4%8b%e7%be%8e%e8%a1%93%e9%a4%a8%e3%80%91%e3%80%8c%e7%89%88%e7%94%bb%e5%ae%b6%e3%83%ac%e3%83%b3%e3%83%96%e3%83%a9%e3%83%b3%e3%83%88%e3%80%80%e6%8c%91%e6%88%a6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/home.ueno.kokosil.net\/en\/archives\/111749","title":{"rendered":"[National Museum of Western Art] Report on the “Rembrandt the Printmaker: Challenge, Inheritance, and Impact” exhibition. What is the innovative nature of Rembrandt’s prints that connects them to Goya, Redon, and Matisse?"},"content":{"rendered":"

An exhibition highlighting the "printmaker" aspect of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-69), a leading 17th-century Dutch painter, has opened at the National Museum of Western Art. Titled "Rembrandt the Printmaker: Challenge, Inheritance, Impact,"<\/strong> the exhibition runs until September 23, 2026 (Wednesday, national holiday).<\/p>\n

*Some exhibited works will be changed during the exhibition period.<\/strong> Please check the list of works posted on<\/strong> the official website<\/strong><\/a> for details.<\/p>\n

Top visual: Exhibition view<\/em>
\n Article provided by: Taito Culture Marche<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Born in Leiden, Netherlands in 1606, Rembrandt established himself as a leading portrait and narrative painter. He is widely known for his oil paintings such as "The Night Watch," which uses dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, but throughout his life he also devoted himself to printmaking, especially etching, and for pioneering its expressive possibilities, he is considered one of the greatest masters in the history of printmaking. <\/p>\n

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Exhibition view<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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On the right is Charles Wartenay's "The Night Watch (based on Rembrandt)," 1886, National Museum of Western Art (donated by Mr. Gentaro Hoshimoto).<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

This exhibition not only traces the various "challenges" in Rembrandt's printmaking expression, but also brings together works by Goya, Matisse, Picasso, and others who were influenced by him, tracing the aspects of "inheritance" and "impact" up to the early 20th century. It primarily features works from the collections of the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, the world's only museum dedicated to Rembrandt, and the National Museum of Western Art, along with works borrowed from museums in Japan, university libraries, and private collectors overseas.<\/span> Approximately 130 items are on display, including books and posters.<\/p>\n

Chapter 1, "Rembrandt's Challenge in Printmaking,"<\/strong> introduces the diverse expressions produced by Rembrandt's ambitious printmaking process in five thematic sections: "Portraits and Head Studies," "Social Marginalists and Common People," "Religious Themes," "Sketches on Copperplate Engravings," and "Landscapes."<\/p>\n

In 17th-century Europe, the main printmaking techniques prevalent included woodblock printing, as well as metal engraving and etching. Engraving, which preceded etching, was a technique in which a metal plate (the plate on which the image for printing is carved) was directly engraved using a burin (carving tool). Due to its difficulty, it required advanced training, and the resulting style was characterized by strong, sharp, and predominantly linear lines, sometimes almost mechanically regular. <\/p>\n

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An example of 16th-century engraving technique: "Cadmus's Subordinate Being Bitten by a Dragon," 1588, by Hendrik Holtzius, based on Cornelis Cornelis van Haarlem, National Museum of Western Art. [Reference exhibit]<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

In contrast, Rembrandt primarily focused on etching (corrosion engraving). This technique, originally developed for engraving decorations onto hard iron armor and swords, was applied to printmaking. It involves scraping a copper plate coated with an anti-corrosion agent using a needle (a tool with a needle-like tip), and then corroding the exposed metal with acid to create grooves. Its characteristic feature is that it can be produced with the same ease as drawing on paper with a pen, but initially it was often treated as a substitute for engraving, which required an enormous amount of time to produce, and its expressive potential was not fully explored. <\/p>\n

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Exhibition of materials related to etching production<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

In the early 17th century, painters in the Netherlands who had not received formal training as printmakers began to enter the field of etching. A movement to explore new forms of expression unbound by tradition began to spread. Rembrandt, who had just become an independent painter, joined this movement and contributed to its development as a leading figure during this historical turning point. He left behind a remarkable 314 works, each based on an original plate. <\/p>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, "Traveling Musicians," circa 1635, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Many painters who worked with etching produced only a few works during a brief period of their careers, and the majority of those works depicted landscapes. In contrast, Rembrandt dealt with a wide range of subjects, including not only landscapes but also portraits, head studies, genre scenes, and biblical stories. He also left behind examples of study-like works using copper plates as sketchbooks, which was a new genre in the Netherlands at the time. Working in such a wide range of genres was by no means common in the Netherlands, where specialization within genres was advanced. From this perspective, Rembrandt's printmaking can be said to have been challenging. <\/p>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, "Self-Portrait, Face with Open Mouth," 1630, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Rembrandt's early, iconic study , "Self-Portrait, Face with Open Mouth"<\/strong> (1630), with its wide-open eyes and pursed lips, gives a seemingly comical impression, but it was by no means created as a joke. This work reveals that Rembrandt, as a storyteller, pursued persuasiveness in his depiction of figures, and studied various expressions using his own face as a model. <\/p>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, "Self-Portrait with Soft Hat and Patterned Cloak," 1631, National Museum of Western Art, Japan.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

The following year's "Self-Portrait with Soft Hat and Patterned Cloak"<\/strong> (1631), though small, is striking for the variety of its line work. The supple fabric of the curved brim of the hat is depicted with a series of gently undulating vertical lines, while the glossy, substantial fabric of the cloak is rendered with overlapping intersecting and zigzag lines of different patterns. On the other hand, the pleated collar, the lace on the cuffs, and the curly hair are rendered with the freedom of a pen sketch, using soft and delicate lines. This shows that he had already overcome the "monotonity" that had often been criticized about him and had established a line drawing style that was appropriate for different textures.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, etching is a process that typically involves repeatedly making alterations to the original plate (states) and developing the image as it is printed. Rembrandt's number of states is exceptional, and 14 states have been identified in this work. <\/p>\n

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Both are Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn's "Portrait of Clement de Jonge, Printmaker," 1651, from the Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

In the exhibition of "Portrait of Clement de Jonghe, Printmaker"<\/strong> (1651), you can compare the first and fifth states of the print. In the fifth state, the shading is darker, making it difficult to read the facial expression, which gives the print a mysterious atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Rembrandt often made significant changes by layering states, sometimes to the point of altering the very meaning of the scene. Gradually, he began to use altering the original plate as a means of creating variations, rather than merely developing the image. There are even examples like "The Flight into Egypt"<\/strong> (c. 1652), in which he altered the original plate of the earlier printmaker Segers' "Tobias and the Angel" to create a work with a different subject, the Holy Family on their journey to Egypt. This suggests that Rembrandt viewed printmaking not as a fixed, finished product, but as a flexible creative space. <\/p>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, adaptation of Hercules Segers' original, "The Flight into Egypt," circa 1652, National Museum of Western Art, Japan.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Rembrandt's "One Hundred Gulden Print"<\/strong> (1648), considered the finest of his etchings, is one of the highlights of this exhibition. The title comes from the fact that it was sold for an exceptionally high price of "100 guilders" for an etching at the time. The print depicts various scenes from chapter 19 of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament, unfolding simultaneously with Christ as the common protagonist. <\/p>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, "The Hundred Guilden Print," circa 1648, National Museum of Western Art, Japan.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

In a background shrouded in soft darkness, the nuanced gradation of light and shadow, shifting from jet black to gray to white, is created by a network of countless lines. The use of the "drypoint" technique, which involves directly scraping the copper plate with a special needle to create a unique blurring effect in the raised areas, and printing on Japanese paper further enhances the rich tonal gradation, bringing a profound resonance to the depiction of the scene.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the group of figures on the left side of the painting are depicted almost entirely by outlines, resembling pen sketches. While this work is notable for its innovative ensemble composition, it can also be seen as the culmination of Rembrandt's technical experimentation. <\/p>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, *Saint Jerome Reading in an Italian Landscape*, circa 1653, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, *View of Amsterdam*, circa 1641, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

"View of Amsterdam"<\/strong> (c. 1641) is a work in which Rembrandt captures the city of Amsterdam, where he spent most of his career, from across the canal. The composition, with a low horizon and sky occupying most of the canvas, is in line with the trends of Dutch landscape painting at the time. On the other hand, the technique of deliberately leaving the sky white to convey a sense of light deviates from the traditional printmaking style in which clouds were almost always depicted, and this too can be said to be an approach pioneered by Rembrandt.<\/p>\n

Chapter 2, "Inherited Legacy\u201417th-18th Centuries,"<\/strong> traces the influence of Rembrandt and his contemporaries in the 17th and 18th centuries.<\/p>\n

Rembrandt's prints were highly popular even during the time they were created. However, perhaps because his technique was so advanced, his followers in the 17th century were limited to a few, such as his pupil Ferdinand Bol and the Italian Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione. <\/p>\n

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Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, also known as Il Grechetto, "Noah and the Animals Entering the Ark," 1650-55, National Museum of Western Art, Japan.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

In the following 18th century, interest in Rembrandt's work grew, particularly among German artists. Georg Friedrich Schmidt's "Self-Portrait with Spider at Window"<\/strong> (1758), by a Rembrandt admirer, depicts the artist diligently working by a bright window, clearly drawing inspiration from Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait of an Etching Artist at a Window"<\/strong> (1648), which is placed alongside it. However, Schmidt also incorporates his own unique touches, such as a violin and a sword suggesting his military experience, and the spiderweb, a motif associated with fate and the passage of time, adds a melancholic lyricism to the scene. <\/p>\n

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From left: Georg Friedrich Schmidt, "Self-Portrait with Spider at Window," 1758, Rembrandt House Museum; Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, "Self-Portrait Making an Etching at a Window," 1648, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, and based on Georg Friedrich Schmidt and Blaise Nicolas Le Sueur, "Old Man with Hand to Forehead," circa 1639 and 1770, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

The 18th century saw a proliferation of imitations, and there were also instances of artists completing unfinished works by Rembrandt, such as Schmidt's "Old Man with Hand to Forehead"<\/strong> (c. 1639\/1770). Furthermore, demand became so intense that the original plates rapidly wore out, leading to a proliferation of reproductions and imitations on the market. <\/p>\n

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William Hogarth, "Caricature of Paul Before Felix," 1751, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

In his caricature "Pablo Before Felix"<\/strong> (1751), the British satirist William Hogarth ridiculed Rembrandt's style, which at times was blatantly naturalistic. His warning against the large sums of money being spent on Rembrandt's works, often overlooked by his own country's artists, illustrates the enthusiasm of the time. Also during this period, the compilation of the "Catalogue Raisonn\u00e9" (complete catalog of Rembrandt's works) began, laying the solid foundation for Rembrandt studies that continue to this day. <\/p>\n

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Edm\u00e9-Fran\u00e7ois Gersin, *Catalogue Raisonn\u00e9 of the Complete Works of Rembrandt*, 1751, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Chapter 3, "An Impact That Transcends a Century\u2014The 19th and 20th Centuries,"<\/strong> begins with the Spanish master Francisco Jos\u00e9 de Goya y Lucientes. Goya is said to have remarked in his later years that "I had no teachers other than nature, Vel\u00e1zquez, and Rembrandt," but this statement refers not to Rembrandt as an oil painter, but to Rembrandt as a printmaker. Goya diligently studied Rembrandt's prints, which were rare in Spain at the time, through the collections of acquaintances and other sources, and incorporated them into his own work. <\/p>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, "Christ Apparition to the Apostles," 1656, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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Francisco Jos\u00e9 de Goya y Lucientes, "The Disasters of War 79: Truth is Dead," circa 1810-20, National Museum of Western Art.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

"The Disasters of War 79: Truth is Dead"<\/strong> (c. 1810-20) is one of a series of prints created by Goya, who experienced the Napoleonic Wars and domestic turmoil. While denouncing the ugliness and cruelty of humanity, he also incorporated radical political criticism despite his position as court painter. The print depicts the death of "Truth," represented by a female personification, as an allegory for the death of "constitutional freedom" with the restoration of the monarchy. The circular arrangement of the group figures and the depiction of the rays of light emanating from Truth show a connection to Rembrandt's "Christ Apparition to the Apostles"<\/strong> (1656), which is placed next to it.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in France during the first half of the 19th century, etching was a technique that had been largely forgotten, but amidst a trend that emphasized the artist's sensibility and originality, it was re-evaluated as a printmaking technique suitable for the modern era. In this context, one of Rembrandt's works that attracted particular attention was "The Scholar in His Study (Faust)"<\/strong> (c. 1652). <\/p>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, "The Scholar in His Study (Faust)," circa 1652, National Museum of Western Art, Japan.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

This masterpiece is beautiful for the contrast between the dark areas with densely packed lines and the bright areas that make the most of the expressive power of the lines themselves. The painting depicts an elderly man, seemingly a scholar, gazing at a mysterious apparition appearing at a window in a study adorned with skulls and globes. The meaning of the work remains unclear and has given rise to various interpretations, but by the 18th century it came to be regarded as a depiction of the alchemist Faust, and is known to have been the inspiration for Goethe's famous play "Faust," written by a fervent admirer of Rembrandt.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the mystical atmosphere emanating from the image resonated with the sensibilities of people in the 19th century, leading the literary giant Victor Hugo to incorporate its imagery into his masterpiece, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and also using it for posters in the magazine "Etching in Paris," published to promote etching. This work can be seen as an example symbolizing a kind of Rembrandt adoration phenomenon linked to the etching revival in Paris at the time. <\/p>\n

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Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric R\u00e9gamet, "Etchings for the magazine 'Paris'," 1875, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

It was the Society of Etching Engravers, founded in Paris in 1862, that praised Rembrandt's innovative use of light and shadow\u2014mystical twilight, flickering light, and pitch-black darkness\u2014as possibilities in etching. In the preface to a collection of his prints, they commented, "(These were) necessary to depict all the fantasies that his dreamy, powerful, and bizarre imagination produced. No matter how rich his palette may have been, it could not have produced such a diverse range of effects."<\/p>\n

Odilon Redon, a leading painter of French Symbolism, was also one of those who found in Rembrandt's delicate gradations and deep chiaroscuro a formative language that evoked a mystical spirituality. His admiration was so great that he wrote in his notes that he considered it essential that "all the mystery of form depends on him (Rembrandt). " The deep darkness enveloping Christ in "Revelation: With seven stars in his right hand and a double-edged sword coming from his mouth"<\/strong> (1899) is reminiscent of Rembrandt. <\/p>\n

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Odilon Redon, "The Book of Revelation: With Seven Stars in His Right Hand and a Double-Edged Sword Out of His Mouth," 1899, National Museum of Western Art.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, "Three Trees," 1643, National Museum of Western Art, Japan.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Rembrandt's masterpiece of landscape etching , "Three Trees"<\/strong> (1643), was also widely known in 19th-century France. Depicting a Dutch countryside scene facing an approaching storm, the painting features a dramatic effect created by the sharp, diagonal lines of heavy rain, the swirling black clouds rendered through the gradation of intersecting lines, and the contrast of light behind the three trees. Many artists were captivated by this style, and the exhibition showcases its influence through works by Barbizon School artists such as Charles-Fran\u00e7ois Daubigny, Alphonse Legros, and F\u00e9lix Bracquemond. <\/p>\n

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Alphonse Legros, "River Scene with a Storm," 1857, Rembrandt House Museum.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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Both are F\u00e9lix Buo's "Westminster Bridge or the Clock Tower of Westminster," circa 1884, National Museum of Western Art.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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James Abbott McNeill Whistler, *The Garden*, 1886, National Museum of Western Art.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Even in the early 20th century, Rembrandt's popularity did not wane, and Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, who are considered the two greatest figures of 20th-century art, paid homage to Rembrandt in their own works.<\/p>\n

Henri Matisse was the founder of the avant-garde art movement "Fauvism" and is known as an outstanding colorist, but in printmaking, with few exceptions, he was devoted to expression in black and white. The exhibited work, "Henri Matisse Carving a Print"<\/strong> (1900-03), is an example that marks the starting point of the artist's printmaking.<\/p>\n

The theme and composition of his work, which features a large, frontal view of his own upper body, is thought to have been inspired by Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait of Etching at a Window," similar to the 18th-century work of Schmidt mentioned earlier. For the young Matisse, using Rembrandt's self-portraits, which had gained popularity in Paris from the late 19th century onward, as a model when attempting printmaking for the first time, was likely a natural choice. <\/p>\n

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Henri Matisse, "Henri Matisse Engraving a Print," 1900-03, National Museum of Western Art, Japan.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

In Picasso's " Rembrandt with Palette" (1934), part of the "Series for Vollard,"<\/strong> the public image of Rembrandt, repeatedly depicted in his etching self-portraits, is caricatured, complete with a mustache and a feathered hat. This work came about when Picasso, somewhat desperately, drew lines on a copper plate that was no longer usable, and Rembrandt's figure accidentally emerged. It was also an experimental attempt to see if he could reproduce the deep blacks of Rembrandt's work, and the borrowing of images from multiple prints suggests that Picasso had also studied Rembrandt deeply. Photography was not permitted, so please see the actual work in person.<\/p>\n

Asuka Nakata, curator at the National Museum of Western Art who was in charge of this exhibition, said, "In Japan, there have been many exhibitions on the theme of Rembrandt's printmaking. However, this is the first time that we have planned an exhibition that broadens its scope to include his influence. At the venue, I hope that visitors will not only enjoy the charm of Rembrandt's prints but also be surprised by the breadth and richness of their temporal and geographical scope."<\/p>\n

Summary of "Rembrandt the Printmaker: Challenge, Legacy, and Impact"<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Venue: National Museum of Western Art, Special Exhibition Room
\n Date: July 7, 2026 (Tuesday) – September 23, 2026 (Wednesday, holiday)
\n *Some exhibited works will be changed during the exhibition period.
\n Opening hours: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (until 8:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays)
\n *Entry is permitted until 30 minutes before closing time.
\n Closed on Mondays
\n *However, the museum will be open on August 10th (Monday) and September 21st (Monday\/National Holiday).
\n Admission fees (tax included): General admission 2,200 yen, University students 1,300 yen, High school students 1,000 yen
\n *On the day of your visit, you can also view the permanent exhibition.
\n *For further details, please check the exhibition's official website.
\n Organized by: The National Museum of Western Art, The Rembrandt House Museum, and The Asahi Shimbun
\n Official exhibition page: https:\/\/www.nmwa.go.jp\/jp\/exhibitions\/2026rembrandt.html<\/a><\/p>\n

*The information in this article is current as of the time of reporting. Please check the exhibition's official website for the latest information.<\/p>\n

<Past interview articles>
\n A report from the "Great Van Gogh Exhibition: Cafe Terrace at Night" (Ueno Royal Museum). The masterpiece of nightscapes returns to Japan after approximately 20 years, tracing the artist's journey to vivid color expression.<\/a><\/p>\n

[Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum] Report on the "Andrew Wyeth Exhibition": The Forms of "Boundaries" Connecting Light and Shadow, Life and Death, Existence and Absence<\/a><\/p>\n

[National Museum of Western Art] Report on the "\u010ciurlionis Exhibition: Inner Star Chart". A major retrospective of the Lithuanian national artist who fused painting and music, the first in 34 years.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An exhibition highlighting the "printmaker" aspect of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-69), a leading 17th-century Dutch painter, has opened at the National Museum of Western Art. Titled "Rembrandt the Printmaker: Challenge, Inheritance, Impact," the exhibition runs until September 23, 2026 (Wednesday, national holiday). *Some exhibited works will be changed during the exhibition period. Please check the list of works posted on the official website for details. Top visual: Exhibition view Article provided by: Taito Culture Marche Born in Leiden, Netherlands in 1606, Rembrandt established himself as a leading portrait and narrative painter. He is widely known for his oil paintings such as "The Night Watch," which uses dramatic contrasts of…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":111810,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","category-report-en","content-print"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t