Amazing exhibition of works by Rembrandt and a host of other Dutch artists. His rivals, his friends, his students... His most talented student died tragically when his studio was blown away by an explosion in a near-by powder shop. Probably the best picture in the exhibition - apart from some really good Rembrandt self-portraits - is the beheading of St. John the Baptist by Carel Fabritius - the unfortunate victim of the explosion.
In general, the exhibition looks a bit like the Dutch Facebook of the 17th century: people wanted their faces to become known. The college of doctors was apparently very egalitarian - all their faces are the same size regardless whether the sitters are on the first or on the second row. The police is much more hierarchical - in their group portraits it is obvious who is the boss.
Beautifully and thoroughly researched exhibition with a very detailed, informative, thick but rather elegant catalogue. This exhibition comes after another major exhibition of Caravaggio's works last year. The Museum of Fine Arts should get a lot of credit for this activity.
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