World culture: “Rembrandt – a virtuoso of etching” Exhibition from the collections of the State Hermitage displayed in Helsinki

February 2 to April 29, 2012 the Sinebrychoff Art Museum (Helsinki, Finland) is hosting an exhibition “Rembrandt – a virtuoso of etching. Engravings from the D. A. Rovinsky collection”.

The exhibition features 55 etchings by a great Dutch artist of the 17th century, Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) from the State Hermitage collections. The Hermitage collection of Rembrandt’s etchings is the largest one in Russia and the one of the most complete in the world. The collection was bequethed to the Hermitage in 1897 by Dmitry Rovinsky. It is the most important private collection of Rembrandt’s engravings.

The graphics include the same themes as the paintings by Rembrandt: biblical and mythological themes as well as other themes from literature. They also feature descriptions about the life of the public, landscapes and portraits, including self-portraits. The collection of engravings by Rembrandt from the State Hermitage is displayed abroad for the first time.