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Rembrandt and Friends
Rembrandt's Portrait of a Bearded Man in Red Doublet on Loan to the Chrysler Museum

June 29 - September 9, 2001

For the next three months, through September 9, the Chrysler Museum of Art will be home to the exhibition Rembrandt and Friends. Included in this exhibition is the Portrait of a Bearded Man in Red Doublet by the Dutch Master Rembrandt van Rijn. This is a rare opportunity for visitors to the Chrysler to experience the work of one of the greatest painters in the western world in the company of five other great seventeenth-century Dutch paintings and a magnificent collection of American furniture.

The Rembrandt portrait is oil on panel and on loan to the Museum from the Noortman Gallery in Maastricht, Netherlands. The painting has had an interesting history. It was discovered in 1930 in a private collection in England. Since then it has been in the collection of Texas oilman Amon Carter and part of the collection of the famous Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. In 2001 it was sold at auction in New York to Dutch dealer Robert Noortman who graciously loaned it to the Chrysler Museum of Art.

Rembrandt (1606-69) is considered by many to be the greatest artist of the Dutch School. He was a master of light and shadow with paintings characterized by exquisite brushwork and rich color. His numerous portraits and self-portraits exhibit a profound understanding of the character of his subjects.

The identity of the man in the painting is unknown. This is not unusual, but the costume that he wears is very different from the black attire usually worn by Rembrandt's Amsterdam patrons. It is believed that the red doublet with braid fastenings has military significance. The collar is also unusual with its lack of the more traditional lace trim. Speculation by experts is that the sitter could have been a foreign soldier residing in The Hague at the time. And now this unknown man will be residing on the Hague in Norfolk for a brief visit beginning June 29 through September 9, 2001.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669) Portrait of a Bearded Man in a Red Doublet, 1633 Courtesy of the Noortman Gallery, Maastricht, Holland

The Chrysler Museum of Art is one of America's great fine art museums. The Hampton Roads area Museum maintains a distinguished permanent collection and offers a comprehensive program of changing exhibitions and education activities for visitors of all ages. Comprising over 30,000 objects the Chrysler's collection spans over 5000 years of art history.

For More Information or Images Please Contact the Chrysler at (757) 664-6200 or museum@chrysler.org

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