Rembrandt van Rijn, widely regarded as one of history’s best painters, also made about 350 exquisite prints lavish with painterly qualities. To commemorate next year’s 350th anniversary of the Dutch artist’s death, the Denver Art Museum (DAM) is exhibiting Rembrandt: Painter as Printmaker September 16, 2018, to January 6, 2019. The Mile High City is the sole venue for this exhibit co-curated by the DAM’s Timothy J. Standring and Jaco Rutgers, an independent European scholar whom the DAM director Christoph Heinrich dubbed “Mr. Rembrandt Print.”
From about 100 prints on exhibit, Standring and Rutgers agreed on a favorite: The Three Trees, an etching, engraving and drypoint piece dated 1643. In addition to sublime landscapes, the show includes Rembrandt’s portraits and self-portraits, biblical scenes and nudes, and a still life of seashells, which the artist collected. The exhibit showcases the famed Hundred Guilder Print and also rare works. A print depicting St. Jerome is one of only two known impressions. Several paintings and 17 drawings add creative context and present a multimedia overview of Rembrandt’s genius.