A rare oil sketch by Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn will be unveiled at Louvre Abu Dhabi this week (February 14, 2019).
The painting will form part of the upcoming exhibition Rembrandt, Vermeer & the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from The Leiden Collection.
The display opens on Thursday, February 14, and will showcase works from the Dutch Golden Age of art.
But this particular piece, Head of a Young Man with Clasped Hands, will remain in Abu Dhabi following the exhibition.
Painted on an oak panel, it was identified as the work of Rembrandt in the 1930s.
It is the first work by Rembrandt known to have been acquired for a public collection in the Gulf region, having previously appeared in exhibitions at the Musée du Louvre, Paris, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Art and the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam.
It follows the unveiling of 11 new additions to Louvre Abu Dhabi’s permanent collection in October 2018.
They include a Buddhist sculpture from China, four tapestries from French royal manufacturers depicting The Hunts of Maximilian, the Duke of Brabant and a rare Ottoman horse armour.
His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), says: “Rembrandt is one of the most prominent figures in Western art history and this acquisition yet again highlights the remarkable quality of both Louvre Abu Dhabi’s permanent collection and its exhibitions programme.
“We look forward to seeing this work unveiled at the museum and confidently look to the future, as we continue to grow our collection and inspire cross-cultural understanding in visitors from all over the world.”
The Dutch Golden Age didn’t last long – just a brief period during the 17th century when the new Dutch merchant republic, freshly independent from the Spanish Crown, was regarded as the most prosperous state in Europe. Worldwide trade led by the Dutch East India Company, combined with military advancements and new developments in art and science, gave the Low Countries (the coastal region of northwestern Europe, consisting of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) an important advantage throughout Europe and the world.
The exhibition is free to enter with a ticket to the museum and will be on display until May 18, 2019.
Dhs60 (museum entry). Feb 14-May 18. Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island (600 565 566).
