The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is currently showing a remarkable display of Dutch landscapes, still life, and scenes of daily life through the lens of more than 90 drawings and 27 paintings. Who can you expect to see?

Among the Golden Age masters on view currently at the National Gallery of Art are Aelbert Cuyp, Pieter Jansz Saenredam, Michiel van Musscher, and — of course — Rembrandt van Rijn. On view through January 2, “Drawings for Paintings in the Age of Rembrandt” is an entertaining exploration of the drawing process in the Netherlands during its period of greatest cultural achievement.

Michiel van Musscher, “An Artist in His Studio with His Drawings,” 1665, oil on panel, (c) The Princely Collections, Liechtenstein 2016
Michiel van Musscher, “An Artist in His Studio with His Drawings,” 1665, oil on panel, (c) The Princely Collections, Liechtenstein 2016

Artworks in the show include more than 90 drawings coupled with 27 paintings. In addition to the drawing process, the show also delves into the ways in which Dutch artists worked from life — using drawing as a means for composition, figural studies, construction drawings, and simple everyday observations. Via the museum, “It also examines the underdrawings artists made on their panel and canvas supports before painting their scenes.”

Rembrandt van Rijn, “Old Man Seated,” 1631, chalk on paper, (c) National Gallery of Art 2016
Rembrandt van Rijn, “Old Man Seated,” 1631, chalk on paper, (c) National Gallery of Art 2016

After its tenure in Washington, D.C., the exhibition travels to the Fondation Custodia in Paris, France, from February 3 through May 7, 2017. To learn more, visit The National Gallery of Art.

Rembrandt van Rijn, “Joseph Telling His Dreams,” 1633, grisaille, (c) Rijksmuseum 2016
Rembrandt van Rijn, “Joseph Telling His Dreams,” 1633, grisaille, (c) Rijksmuseum 2016

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.


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Andrew Webster is the former Editor of Fine Art Today and worked as an editorial and creative marketing assistant for Streamline Publishing. Andrew graduated from The University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.A. in Art History and Ceramics. He then moved on to the University of Oregon, where he completed an M.A. in Art History. Studying under scholar Kathleen Nicholson, he completed a thesis project that investigated the peculiar practice of embedded self-portraiture within Christian imagery during the 15th and early 16th centuries in Italy.

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