From November 27, 2024 to March 23, 2025, the history of one of Europe's most fascinating metropolises and its formative personalities will be told in the exhibition Rembrandt's Amsterdam. Golden Times?.
In cooperation with the Amsterdam Museum, the Städel Museum presents the portrait art of the Rembrandt period in a major exhibition. The focus is on the Amsterdam Museum's outstanding group portraits, which are very rarely on loan and are being shown in Germany for the first time on such a large scale. Around 100 paintings, sculptures and prints as well as cultural-historical objects from other leading Dutch and international museums will be brought together in Frankfurt, including masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp and the Muzeum Narodowe in Warsaw. This collection is complemented by outstanding works by Rembrandt and his contemporaries from the Städel Museum collection.
Amsterdam, an up-and-coming trading metropolis in the 17th century, was a place of economic and cultural upswing. Art and science flourished in this "boomtown", and famous artists such as Rembrandt van Rijn and his contemporaries Jacob Backer, Ferdinand Bol and Bartholomeus van der Helst captured the self-confidence of the city's elite in impressive group portraits. However, this golden age of art also harbored dark chapters - from colonialism, slavery and migration to poverty and social exclusion.
This is what awaits you in the exhibition:
- First time in Germany: A large number of outstanding group portraits from the Amsterdam Museum, complemented by loans from renowned institutions such as the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York and other international museums.
- Over 100 exhibits: In addition to paintings, sculptures, prints and cultural-historical objects are on display.
- A view of all social classes: From the magnificent representational paintings of the city's elite to sensitive depictions of outsiders and the socially disadvantaged - the exhibition shows a multi-layered picture of Amsterdam.
- Masterpieces from the Städel Museum collection: including Rembrandt's The Blinding of Samson and etchings that document the lives of ordinary people with impressive fidelity to reality.
The main themes of the exhibition:
- Amsterdam as a world trade metropolis: Views of the city and its important buildings, as well as depicting its economic and social dynamics.
- The civic self-image: Impressive group portraits of the marksmen's associations, craft guilds and charitable organizations.
- Social contrasts: Insights into the lives of the poor and marginalized, including touching portraits of orphans and social institutions such as the "Spinhuis" and "Rasphuis".
- A critical look at the "Golden Age": A reflection on the dark side of colonialism, migration and exploitation.
Exhibition period: November 27, 2024 - 23. March 2025
Location: Städel Museum, Ausstellungshaus, Dürerstraße 2, 60596 Frankfurt am Main
Further information:
