I don’t tend to write about blockbuster exhibitions as there is already so much press about them but I have found this one, Rembrandt: the late works deeply moving.
On at the National Gallery till 18th January 2015, it is small in size so I was shocked to feel quite so overwhelmed on my first visit after only 30 minutes. Apart from the technical virtuosity and historical context, it was the strength of emotion emanating from the work that really got me. Is it because, at this oh so turbulent time in his life: bankruptcy, the loss of his home and belongings, multiple bereavement including all his children, he was able to convey the passage of time in such a powerful way and how it relates to our sense of identity?
I tell you, I’m going back again for another hit.
N.B. No photos by me for obvious reasons.
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