Pursuit of Faith: Etchings by RembrandtIn the Thrivent Financial Collection of Religious Art
An art exhibition at the Alfred Berkowitz Gallery
(University of Michigan-Dearborn)
Beginning September 24, 2010 the Alfred Berkowitz Gallery at the University of Michigan – Dearborn will host an exhibition of etchings by the renowned artist Rembrandt. “Pursuit of Faith: Etchings by Rembrandt in the Thrivent Financial Collection of Religious Art” was organized by Dr. Shelley Perlove and her undergraduate students at UM-Dearborn.
The exhibit runs through October 15, 2010 and is free and open to the public.
Rembrandt, the most famous Dutch artist in history, was intensely interested in religious subjects and was a serious reader of the Bible and other religious texts. He interpreted biblical scenes that were rarely illustrated by other artists and portrayed more traditional subjects in novel ways. In the 1600s, the Netherlands was a religious stew of people; here Jews, Calvinists, Catholics, and Mennonites lived side-by-side, often engaging in religious debate. Rembrandt thrived on the knowledge he gained from these surroundings. His etchings, which were produced for a select circle of patrons during his lifetime, are universally admired and sought by collectors and museum curators today.
“Pursuit of Faith: Etchings by Rembrandt from the Thrivent Financial Collection of Religious Art” features 25 fine prints, including the famous Hundred Guilder Print (1649), as well as the original copper plate of The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds (1634) which is also on view. The exhibit spans the years from Rembrandt’s early dramatic etchings of the 1630s to his late prints of the 1650s that focused on quieter, more contemplative moments.
The exhibit also includes detailed information on the art of etching and printmaking and the tools which the artist used. Rembrandt was able to go above and beyond the craft of printmaking, extending its boundaries in order to create the incredible images on view. In fact, his constant experimentation with technique means that many of the impressions that survive today are one of a kind. He worked with different types of paper, testing the effects of thick European paper against thinner Japanese types that produced a more luminous, translucent quality. Deeply involved in all aspects of this meticulous art form, Rembrandt practiced selective wiping of the inked plate, allowing the ink to gather in areas to create shadow, and wiping it away for the illusion of light, therefore creating contrast while also highlighting significant details of his works.
A more comprehensive explanation of Rembrandt’s techniques is included in the exhibition catalogue in an essay by Tom Rassieur entitled “Chapters in Rembrandt’s Life as a Printmaker.” Rassieur, currently the John E. Andrus III Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, is a world famous Rembrandt scholar, and has created several major Rembrandt exhibitions. The catalogue also features detailed information on each etching featured in the show along with scholarly essays by Amy Golahny, Susan Kurtetsky, and Shelley Perlove.
The catalogue will be on sale for the duration of the exhibit.
Gallery hours are 10am to 6:30pm, Monday through Friday.
The Alfred Berkowitz Gallery is located on the third floor
of the Mardigian Library, University of Michigan-Dearborn,
4901 Evergreen Rd. Dearborn, MI 48128.
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