From Rembrandt’s Workshop: Drawings from the Rembrandt School

Rembrandt or not Rembrandt? The approximately 100 drawings on show at the Kupferstichkabinett are a combination of some of the master’s best work mixed with that of his apprentices, assistants and amateurs possessing varying degrees of skill. In initial inventories of Rembrandt’s property, almost none of the works were signed, which made it impossible for collectors and experts to be certain who had created them. Between the 1630s and 1660s, Rembrandt had numerous fellows and apprentices, of which 50 are known by name while many remain anonymous. The exhibition’s detailed wall texts provide analytical insight into the formal correspondences, compositional choices and stylistic similarities of the drawings, often comparing two works of the same motif. Some questions, however, remain unresolved. For example, in two similar works both titled “Hagmar and Ismael in the desert”, Rembrandt depicts an angel whereas his student Willem Drost chose not to include one. Whose version came first? Who inspired whom? Ongoing mysteries and close studies of subtle differences are sure to enthuse Rembrandt fans and newbies alike.