Dutch and Flemish art on show at the Grosvenor Museum
2 July 2009
Masterpieces of Dutch and Flemish art are on show at
Chester's Grosvenor Museum this summer, thanks to the Duke of
Westminster.
A pair of portraits by Rembrandt's workshop
and two paintings by David Teniers the Younger, lent by the duke,
are now on display until September 30.
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) was the best
known and most influential Dutch artist of the 17th century and one
of the geniuses in the history of art. Born in Leiden and
trained as a painter there and in Amsterdam, he subsequently worked
in his home town from about 1624.
Around 1631 Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam and
became the city’s leading portraitist for the next decade.
His portraits from this period, often in pairs, employ a brilliant
technique and convey a sense of physical presence: the
paintings on loan to the museum are highly characteristic of
Rembrandt’s art at this time.
A Man with a Hawk and A Lady with
a Fan, both signed by Rembrandt and dated 1643, had long been
considered authentic Rembrandts. However, some experts now
believe that they were painted in Rembrandt's workshop under his
direct supervision, and that the man's clothing may be by his pupil
Ferdinand Bol (1616-1680).
The workshop produced pictures in the master's
style that were not necessarily from his own hand, but had been
executed by assistants and were sometimes, as with this pair,
signed by Rembrandt.
David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) worked
in Antwerp and Brussels as court painter to the governor of the
Southern Netherlands. Saying Grace before a Meal
depicts a well-off farming family in a well-equipped interior,
presenting an image of modest rural wealth and celebrating the
virtues of the peasantry. Interior of a Tavern shows
peasants drinking and smoking.
The paintings are part of a programme of loans
to the museum from the Duke of Westminster. Mostly acquired by
the 1st and 2nd Earls Grosvenor in the late 18th and early 19th
centuries, the Duke's paintings form one of the greatest
aristocratic collections in Britain.
Peter Boughton, the museum's Keeper of Art,
said, "We are deeply grateful to His Grace for the loan of these
wonderful paintings, which will enable them to be seen and enjoyed
by our many visitors."
The programme of accompanying events
includes:
- 30 July: Birds of Prey event for children and
families
- 5 August: What's in Here creative writing session
- 13 August: Make a Fan event for children
and families
- 15 September: A guided tour of the Art Gallery
- 22 September: A lecture on Dutch Painting of the
Golden Age
The Grosvenor Museum is open Monday - Saturday 10.30am -
5pm and Sunday 1pm - 4pm, admission is free.