Rembrandt: A Genius and his Impact

In October 1997 the Gallery, in association with Art Exhibitions Australia, mounted an exhibition of one of the finest collections of European old master paintings ever seen in Australia. Drawn from 40 of the world’s leading museums and art collections, Shell presents Rembrandt: A Genius and His Impact provided Australian audiences with the unique opportunity to view 28 autograph paintings by the Dutch master. To illustrate the enormous influence that Rembrandt had on his age, 40 paintings by his contemporaries, pupils and followers were also included, providing a broad understanding of of painting in 17th-century Holland. Included in the exhibition were the two superb paintings held by the National Gallery of Victoria itself, the early Two Old Men Disputing, 1628, and the late Portrait of a White Haired Man, 1667. These were contextualised by some of Rembrandt’s best known paintings, such as Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalum, 1630, from the Rijksmuseum; Self-Portrait at the Age of 34, 1640, and Portrait of Jacob Trip, 1661, both from the National Gallery, London; and Man in Armour, 1655, from the Glasgow Museums.