Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606 Leiden – 1669 Amsterdam)
Self-Portait c.1657
Oil on panel, 48 × 40.6 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery
© KHM-Museumsverband
In his treatise on the art of painting published in 1678, Inleyding tot de hooge schoole der schilderkonst, anders de zichtbaere wereld (Introduction to the Academy of Painting, or The Visible World), van Hoogstraten reflected on his time in Rembrandt’s studio. As a direct witness, he provides us with unique insights into the master’s creative process and work: his workshop practice, training methods, and approaches to the theory of art.
The main themes of the exhibition are the examination of the powerful effect of colour and the magnificent illusionistic techniques with which both Rembrandt and van Hoogstraten were able to create ‘virtual realities’ in their paintings.
Van Hoogstraten writes in his treatise about his admiration for the incomparable force of colour in Rembrandt’s paintings, the astounding illusionism of his works, and his unique gift for rendering emotions convincingly. The main themes of the exhibition are based on van Hoogstraten’s treatise, and will be explored in paintings, drawings, and prints from all phases of Rembrandt’s artistic development.
The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to encounter the works of both artists through the eyes of a seventeenth-century art connoisseur and shines new light on the masterpieces. The epoch’s fascination with illusionism will be explored against the background of theoretical writings from the seventeenth century, examined in the light of intellectual currents of the time, and complemented by the results of the latest scientific analyses with regard to the two artists’ innovative use of perspective, colour, light, and shade.
Rembrandt’s paintings will be juxtaposed and contrasted with those of his pupil. Similarities and independent developments in the oeuvre of both artists provide fascinating insights into the artistic endeavours of the two masters. This is the first-ever presentation of Samuel van Hoogstraten’s work in this particular context. The exhibition also focuses on the key moment of his career, when an audience with Emperor Ferdinand III shortly after the artist’s arrival in Vienna in 1651 proved a triumphal success.
Samuel van Hoogstraten (1627 – 1678 Dordrecht)
Old Man in a Window 1653
Canvas, 111 × 86.5 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery
© KHM-Museumsverband
Curated by Sabine Pénot, the exhibition showcases around sixty works, including paintings, drawings, and prints, provided by the museum’s Picture Gallery and major international lenders like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museé du Louvre Paris, the Nationalmuseum Sweden, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Madrid, the Fine Arts Museum San Francisco, the Dordrecht Museum, the Royal Castle Warsaw, the Armand Hammer Collection in Los Angeles, the Leiden Collection in New York and private collections.
The show is the result of a collaborative research project undertaken with our cooperation partner, the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam which will present an adapted version of the exhibition from 1 February to 4 May 2025.
Samuel van Hoogstraten (1627 – 1678 Dordrecht)
Feigned Letter Rack Painting 1666/78
Canvas, 63 × 79 cm
Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
© Creative Commons, Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
https://www.khm.at/en/visit/exhibitions/rembrandt-hoogstraten/