28/10/2017 - 28/01/2018

Rembrandt. Power and Powerlessness of the Body. 100 Etchings.

Augustinermuseum – Haus der Graphischen Sammlung

Passion and pain, power and impotence: like no other artist, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606 – 1669) devoted himself in his work to the human body. He observed people with a watchful keen eye. Rembrandt did not sugar-coat reality, but depicted what he saw: ravenous children; freezing men and women huddling around a stove; a man urinating or a pair of lovers having sex. We continually coax new secrets and new interpretations from his works. The selection of 100 print graphics for this exhibition gives an insight into the realism of this great Dutch artist. Rembrandt’s images tell of the vitality and the transience of everything that is human, of man rebelling against his physical limitations and his capitulation to his desires – and to death.

In his self-portraits, Rembrandt continually tried out new roles and studied facial expressions. The artist looks back at us with eyes torn wide open and tangled hair. It is a radical form of portrayal that still fascinates us today.

The exhibition is a joint project between the Augustinermuseum and the art collections of Coburg Castle where the exhibition will be shown from 21 June to 9 September 2018.