Nevada Museum of Art news release:
Celebrating the life and legacy of the legendary Dutch painter and etcher Rembrandt van Rijn, the Nevada Museum of Art presents a major exhibit of etchings in its winter 2009 feature exhibition Rembrandt: The Embrace of Darkness and Light from November 7, 2009 through January 17, 2010. Displayed alongside a re-creation of the artist’s printmaking studio, 130 etchings will be highlighted along with tools similar to those Rembrandt would have used to create the etchings and drypoint prints for which he is so widely recognized.
Drawn from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the extensive collection is one of the finest of its kind in the United States and includes landscapes, portraits, historic depictions from the Bible, mythology and ancient history.
“An expressive storyteller, Rembrandt is perhaps best recognized for achieving dramatic narratives and emotionally-charged scenes by emphasizing and embracing contrasts between darkness and light,” said Ann Wolfe, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections, Nevada Museum of Art. “In this exhibition, viewers will experience a gallery space that has been transformed using elements inspired by the 17th-century Dutch architecture Rembrandt would have encountered during his lifetime.”
Presented in an intimate jewel-box setting, the small scale etchings trace Rembrandt’s entire career as a printmaker and demonstrate his innate understanding of the human condition. Unlike many artists before him, Rembrandt recognized that the practice of etching responded best to a lighter touch resulting in a baroque richness of detail and texture. His method of copper-plate etching, using fine lines and flicks without outlines, was original and rarely used by artists who came after him.
“As the only scheduled West Coast venue, the Nevada Museum of Art is extremely pleased to present these impressive works,” said David Walker, Executive Director/CEO, Nevada Museum of Art. “As the state’s only art museum, the Nevada Museum of Art recognizes and embraces the role it plays in cultivating meaningful art experiences and providing an opportunity for viewers to appreciate the exquisite prints of this great Dutch master.”
The exhibition features a number of recognizable works including Self-Portrait Leaning on a Stone Sill (image 1), a 1639 etching, in which Rembrandt depicts himself as a Renaissance courtier dressed in opulent attire with an upturned collar and embroidered gloves—an appropriate costume for an artist just beginning to taste the fruits of his success following his permanent move to Amsterdam the same year.
This exhibition was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Major sponsorship provided by Goldcorp. Additional support for educational programming sponsored by AT&T Nevada. Additional programmatic support provided by the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Rembrandt: The Embrace of Darkness and Light will be on exhibit November 7, 2009 through January 17, 2010 at the Nevada Museum of Art, Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts, E. L. Wiegand Gallery located at 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno. The galleries are open Wednesday through Sunday. Cost: Museum members free; $10 adults; $8 students/seniors; $1 children 6 – 12; free for children under six. For more information, please call 775.329.3333 or visit www.nevadaart.org.
