Rembrandt in America

If about a month ago I was asked to list 10 of my most favorite artists of all time, I can't for sure say that Rembrandt would be on that list.  Rembrandt was a very common name thanks to the aisles full of art supplies in craft stores with the same brand name but my familiarity with his work was vague to say the least. 

I had not been introduced to his work like I was to more modern artists like Monet and Manet and others of the impressionist era. That is until I saw the exhibition 'Rembrandt in America' at Minneapolis Institute of Arts. We took a docent led tour, another first for me, I am usually skeptical about strangers guiding me through art work and its nuances which I think are a matter of personal taste and choice. 

But needless to say, I was very impressed with the exhibition and really liked the introduction that the docent provided. Initially she talked about his style of work and light sources and the controversies about the authenticity of the originality of some his work and it set the direction right for the rest of the tour and even though later we diverged from the group as the discussion was led to the choices of his models and painting themes; I was enthralled by the detail in his work and the emotions captured in the brush strokes. 

It is one of the largest collect of Rembrandt in America and several of his works displayed here are from private collections. 

Rembrandt was also a famous printmaker and there is a large room in the exhibition dedicated to his prints and etchings. It is a must see exhibition and even if you are not a big fan of his work, I can say this from personal experience that, you will not be disappointed. 

Part of a self-portrait by Rembrandt