Rembrandt In Print

Rembrandt van Rijn is one of the greatest printmakers of all time, as well as being the recognised master of the Dutch Golden Age. Innovative and experimental in his print making, Rembrandt created prints not only as multiples to be sold and distributed but also as distinctive artistic expressions. His characteristic scratchy, fine line creates images remarkable for their atmospheric power and sense of detail. In the nineteenth century Sir William Holburne owned numerous examples of the artist’s etchings, though they were, unfortunately, sold in Holburne’s lifetime.

Marking 350 years since the artist’s death, this exhibition comprises fifty of the best etchings and drypoints from the Ashmolean Museum’s world-class collection of Rembrandt prints, some on loan for the first time. The show presents the artist as a close observer of reality and an unrivalled storyteller who experimented with a variety of subjects including self-portraits, religious scenes, nude studies and landscapes. The selection of prints, which date between 1630 and the late 1650s, feature many of Rembrandt’s most iconic images.