Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Announces Major Exhibition Featuring Rembrandt’s Etchings Showcasing Mastery of Print
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has announced the launch of a highly anticipated exhibition featuring etchings by the renowned artist Rembrandt. Titled “Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White—Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum,” the exhibition will highlight the artist’s mastery of printmaking and his lasting impact on the field.
Scheduled to open on March 6, 2025, the exhibition will showcase the complete range of Rembrandt’s etchings, including select works by his predecessors, contemporaries, and later artists. Co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Rembrandt House Museum, the exhibition will be on display at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery until June 1, 2025. This is the first time that Rembrandt’s etchings will be featured as a collection outside of the Netherlands, making it a unique and exclusive opportunity for visitors in the UK.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) was not only known for his atmospheric paintings, but also for his production of over 300 etchings. Unlike other artists of his time who saw printmaking as a means to reproduce famous artworks, Rembrandt embraced etching as a way to create finished pieces. It was a new form of printmaking at the time, and he used its unique characteristics to his advantage.
Rembrandt’s printmaking style evolved throughout his career, and the exhibition will showcase this progression through various thematic sections. These sections will cover his masterful storytelling skills, bold exploration of light and shadow, and use of self-portraits to explore aging and his own visual identity.
In addition to Rembrandt’s works, the exhibition will also feature select comparative pieces by his predecessors and contemporaries, such as his teacher Pieter Lastman and pupil Ferdinand Bol. These works will provide context and shed light on Rembrandt’s specific innovations, including his experiments with etching, tonal effects, and dramatic portrayal of subjects.
Birmingham Museums Trust’s co-chief executives, Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, expressed their excitement about hosting this significant exhibition in collaboration with the American Federation of Arts and the Rembrandt House Museum. They look forward to welcoming visitors to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery for this exclusive opportunity to view such an important collection in the UK.
Pauline Forlenza, director and chief executive of the American Federation of Arts, also shared her enthusiasm for the exhibition, stating that it is an incredible honor to tour “Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White” in collaboration with the Rembrandt House Museum. She believes that this partnership will allow audiences in the United States and the United Kingdom to experience Rembrandt’s work directly.
Epco Runia, head of collections at the Rembrandt House Museum, echoed these sentiments, expressing his delight in bringing Rembrandt’s fascinating prints to Birmingham. He hopes that the exhibition will demonstrate that each of Rembrandt’s prints is a work of art in its own right, and that visitors will be able to appreciate the visual richness of his black and white pieces.
Tickets for the exhibition are now available for purchase. For more information, visit the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery website.
