The State Hermitage Museum - The Leiden Collection

The Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer: Masterpieces of The Leiden Collection

The exhibition of The Leiden Collection at The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg explores the artistic world of the Dutch Republic through a selection of 81 paintings and drawings by Rembrandt van Rijn and his contemporaries. Differing from previous exhibitions, the works from The Leiden Collection will be shown in dialogue with 8 paintings representing the Leiden fijnschilder school from the Hermitage collection. These juxtapositions illuminate points of contact between various artists and aspects of tradition and innovation in their subject matter and style.

Focusing on the artistic center of Leiden and the larger circle of artistic creativity that emerged around it, the exhibition elucidates Rembrandt’s artistic beginnings, his relationship to rivals and contemporaries, and the artistic traditions that flourished in cities across the Dutch Republic. Artists such as Jan Lievens, Gerrit Dou, and Frans van Mieris, as well as Frans Hals, Hendrick ter Brugghen, and Johannes Vermeer, provide a remarkable glimpse into the Dutch Golden Age. Seen together with the renowned collections in St. Petersburg, the works in this exhibition reflect the enduring interest in collecting Dutch art, one that has existed in Russia for nearly four hundred years.

Photographs of the exhibition by Kirill Ovchinikov.

Photographs from the Exhibition

The Catalogue

Artwork in the Exhibition

Extraordinary Beginnings: Rembrandt van Rijn in Leiden

The works by Rembrandt van Rijn and his contemporaries in The Leiden Collection provide an unparalleled glimpse into Leiden’s rich artistic culture and the circle of creativity that emerged around it. They elucidate not only the artistic beginnings of Rembrandt, his early pupils, and Jan Lievens, but also present a unique window into a defining moment of the Dutch Golden Age.

**Isaac de Jouderville** *Portrait of Rembrandt in Oriental Dress*

The Earliest Paintings: Allegory of the Senses

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Three Musicians (Allegory of Hearing)*

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Unconscious Patient (Allegory of Smell)*

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Stone Operation (Allegory of Touch)*

Rembrandt's Teacher

Born in Leiden in 1606, Rembrandt began his artistic training…

**Pieter Lastman** *David Gives Uriah a Letter for Joab*

Inspiration and Competition

The dialogue of artistic exploration that unfolded in Leiden between…

**Hendrick ter Brugghen** *Allegory of Faith*

**Jan Lievens** *Bookkeeper at His Desk*

**Jan Lievens** *Head of a Gray-Bearded Old Man in Profile (Portrait of an Old Man)*

Rembrandt's Mother

This tronie is closely related to an etching that Rembrandt…

Rembrandt's Teacher

Born in Leiden in 1606, Rembrandt began his artistic training in the city of his birth, subsequently spending six highly formative months with Amsterdam history painter Pieter Lastman.

Inspiration and Competition

The dialogue of artistic exploration that unfolded in Leiden between Rembrandt and Lievens during the second half of the 1620s is evident in their self-portraiture, depictions of figures in exotic costume, and their evocative use of light and shadow — themes that resonated with fellow artists in Leiden and beyond. The Leiden Collection's paintings by Lievens are joined by the Hermitage's Head of a Gray-Bearded Old Man in Profile (Portrait of an Old Man), which may represent the same model as depicted in Bookkeeper at His Desk.

Rembrandt's Mother

This tronie is closely related to an etching that Rembrandt made of his mother in 1628, and was likely executed by an artist working in Rembrandt’s circle. The subject matter, composition, and expressive handling of the figure provide insight into the working methods of Rembrandt’s studio, as well as the continued interest in the portrayal of age by artists in Leiden in the late 1620s.

Artist Isaac de Jouderville (Leiden ca. 1612 – 1645/48 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Portrait of Rembrandt in Oriental Dress, ca. 1631
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Three Musicians (Allegory of Hearing), ca. 1624–25
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Unconscious Patient (Allegory of Smell), ca. 1624–25
Medium: oil on panel, inset into an eighteenth-century panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Stone Operation (Allegory of Touch), ca. 1624–25
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Pieter Lastman (Amsterdam 1583 – 1633 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: David Gives Uriah a Letter for Joab, 1619
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Hendrick ter Brugghen (The Hague 1588 – 1629 Utrecht)

Artwork title: Allegory of Faith, ca. 1626
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jan Lievens (Leiden 1607 – 1674 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Card Players, ca. 1625
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jan Lievens (Leiden 1607 – 1674 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Bookkeeper at His Desk, ca. 1627
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jan Lievens (1607-1674)

Artwork title: Head of a Gray-Bearded Old Man in Profile (Portrait of an Old Man), 1631-32
Medium: oil on panel, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, ГЭ 736

Artist Jan Lievens (Leiden 1607 – 1674 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Self-Portrait, ca. 1629–30
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Studio of Rembrandt van Rijn

Artwork title: Rembrandt’s Mother, ca. 1628
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

The Center of the Golden Age: Rembrandt in Amsterdam

Rembrandt left Leiden for Amsterdam in 1631, where he entered the workshop of art dealer Hendrick van Uylenburgh, and began receiving commissions from Amsterdam’s urban elite. Rembrandt’s portraits, preparatory studies, and history paintings, seen here, illustrate the expressive technique the artist employed to poignantly convey the human experience.

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Self-Portrait with Shaded Eyes*

Portraiture

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Portrait of a Man in a Red Coat*

**Rembrandt van Rijn and Workshop** *Portrait of Antonie Coopal*

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Young Girl in a Gold-Trimmed Cloak*

Preparatory Studies

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Study of a Woman in a White Cap*

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Portrait of an Old Man (Possibly a Rabbi)*

Minerva in Her Study

Rembrandt's Circle and the Dialogue of Innovation

**Ferdinand Bol** *Man with a Fur-Trimmed Hat*

**Gerbrand van den Eeckhout** *Simeon in the Temple*

**Willem de Poorter** *Solomon and the Queen of Sheba*

Divine Lessons

**Ferdinand Bol** *Angel Appearing to Elijah*

**Carel Fabritius** *Hagar and the Angel*

Studies of the Natural World: Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci

Studies of animals, including those by Leonardo da…

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Young Lion Resting*

Studies of the Natural World: Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci

Studies of animals, including those by Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt in this exhibition, illustrate Dutch and Italian artists’ wide-ranging interests in the natural world, as well as the importance of drawing from life. The drawing by Leonardo represents the only work by an Italian artist in The Leiden Collection.

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Self-Portrait with Shaded Eyes, 1634
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Portrait of a Man in a Red Coat, 1633
Medium: oil on oval panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn and Workshop (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Portrait of Antonie Coopal, 1635
Medium: oil on Brazilian chestnut (sucupira)

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Young Girl in a Gold-Trimmed Cloak, 1632
Medium: oil on oval panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Head of a Girl, ca. 1645
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Study of a Woman in a White Cap, ca. 1640
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Portrait of an Old Man (Possibly a Rabbi), ca. 1645
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Minerva in Her Study, 1635
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Ferdinand Bol (Dordrecht 1616 – 1680 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Man with a Fur-Trimmed Hat, ca. 1646–48
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Ferdinand Bol (Dordrecht 1616 – 1680 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Self-Portrait, Behind a Parapet, 1648
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (Amsterdam 1621 – 1674 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Simeon in the Temple, 1672
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Willem de Poorter (Haarlem? 1608 – after 1648 Haarlem?)

Artwork title: Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, ca. 1630
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Ferdinand Bol (Dordrecht 1616 – 1680 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Angel Appearing to Elijah, ca. 1642
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Carel Fabritius (Middenbeemster 1622 – 1654 Delft)

Artwork title: Hagar and the Angel, ca. 1645
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Young Lion Resting, ca. 1638–42
Medium: black chalk, white chalk heightening, and gray wash, on brown laid paper

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452–1519)

Artwork title: Head of a Bear, ca. 1485
Medium: Silverpoint on pale pink preparation

The Leiden Collection, New York

Fine Painting in Leiden: Gerrit Dou, Frans van Mieris, and their Contemporaries

Rembrandt’s first pupil in Leiden, Gerrit Dou, did not paint in the fluid manner popularized by his master. Instead, he developed a distinctive style known as fijnschilderij, or fine painting. Marked by an extraordinary precision of brushstroke, Dou’s inventive and illustionistic compositions were further mastered by the “prince among his pupils,” Frans van Mieris. In this exhibition, The Leiden Collection’s compositions by Dou are joined by two remarkable examples from the Hermitage collection, An Old Man Holding a Globe (Heraclitis?) and the enigmatic Bather.

The Scholarly Tradition

**Gerrit Dou** *Scholar Sharpening His Quill*

**Gerrit Dou** *An Old Man Looking at the Globe (Heraclitus?)*

**Gerrit Dou** *Scholar Interrupted at His Writing*

Gerrit Dou: Rembrandt's First Pupil

**Gerrit Dou** *Young Woman in a Niche with a Parrot and Cage*

**Gerrit Dou** *Cat Crouching on the Ledge of an Artist’s Atelier*

Humble Interiors and Quiet Exchanges

The Leiden Collection's genre scenes by Dou, Metsu, and Van…

**Frans van Mieris** *Elderly Couple in an Interior*

**Gabriel Metsu** *Smoker Seated at a Table*

**Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt** *Breakfast of a Young Man*

Elegance and Virtue

**Frans van Mieris** *Portrait of a Lady*

**Gerrit Dou** *Portrait of a Lady, Seated with a Music Book on Her Lap*

**Caspar Netscher** *Portrait of Susanna Doublet Huygens*

**Frans van Mieris** *“Self-Portrait” with a Plumed Beret*

**Frans van Mieris** *Tronie Self-Portrait of the Artist, Bust-length, Wearing a Turban Crowned with a Feather, and Fur-trimmed Robe*

**Gerrit Dou** *Portrait of Dirck van Beresteyn*

Bridging History and Genre Painting

Leiden fijnschilders infused their depictions of historical subject matter with…

**Frans van Mieris** *Child’s Lesson (Hannah Entrusting Her Son Samuel into the Care of the High Priest Eli?)*

**Caspar Netscher** *Sarah Leading Hagar to Abraham*

**Adriaen van der Werff** *Sarah Bringing Hagar to Abraham*

**Frans van Mieris** *Death of Lucretia*

Dou's Posterity: Godefridus Schalcken

**Godefridus Schalcken** *Parable of the Lost Piece of Silver*

**Godefridus Schalcken** *Diana and Her Nymphs in a Clearing*

**Godefridus Schalcken** *Young Man and Woman Studying a Statue of Venus, by Lamplight*

Humble Interiors and Quiet Exchanges

The Leiden Collection's genre scenes by Dou, Metsu, and Van Mieris are accompanied by the works from the Hermitage. Dou's slightly later composition depicting the subject of a Herring Seller, the Breakfast of a Young Man, by Dou pupil Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt, and the Broken Egg by Van Mieris — a possible pendant to Traveler at Rest — illuminate the various artistic connections across collections.

Bridging History and Genre Painting

Leiden fijnschilders infused their depictions of historical subject matter with observations of daily life. Adriaen van der Werff's painting of Sarah bringing Hagar to Abraham in the Hermitage's collection presents an alternative late seventeenth-century interpretation of the subject.

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artwork title: Old Man Praying, ca. 1665–70
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artwork title: Scholar Sharpening His Quill, ca. 1632-35
Medium: oil on oval panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerrit Dou (1613-1675)

Artwork title: An Old Man Looking at the Globe (Heraclitus?), ca. 1628
Medium: oil on panel, 38.5 x 31 cm, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, ГЭ-1012

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artwork title: Scholar Interrupted at His Writing, ca. 1635
Medium: oil on oval panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artwork title: Young Woman in a Niche with a Parrot and Cage, ca. 1660–65
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerrit Dou (1613-1675)

Artwork title: Bather, 1660-65
Medium: oil on panel, 25.5 x 19 cm, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, ГЭ-893

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artwork title: Goat in a Landscape, ca. 1660–65
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artwork title: Cat Crouching on the Ledge of an Artist’s Atelier, 1657
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artwork title: Elderly Couple in an Interior, ca. 1650–55
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artwork title: Herring Seller and Boy, ca. 1664
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerrit Dou (1613-1675)

Artwork title: Herring Seller, 1670-75
Medium: oil on panel, 40 x 30 cm, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, ГЭ-890

Artist Gabriel Metsu (Leiden 1629 – 1667 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Smoker Seated at a Table, ca. 1654–57
Medium: oil on copper

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt (1640-1691)

Artwork title: Breakfast of a Young Man, second half of the 17th century
Medium: oil on canvas, 22 x 18.5 cm, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, ГЭ-911

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artwork title: Traveler at Rest, ca. 1657
Medium: oil on copper

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Frans van Mieris (1635-1681)

Artwork title: Broken Egg, second half of the 17th century
Medium: oil on copperplate, 22 x 17.5, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, ГЭ-916

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artwork title: Young Woman Feeding a Parrot, 1663
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artwork title: Portrait of a Lady, 1673
Medium: oil on panel with arched top

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artwork title: Portrait of a Lady, Seated with a Music Book on Her Lap, ca. 1640–44
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Caspar Netscher (Prague or Heidelberg ca. 1639 – 1684 The Hague)

Artwork title: Portrait of Susanna Doublet Huygens, 1669
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Godefridus Schalcken (Made 1643 – 1706 The Hague)

Artwork title: Portrait of Barthout van Slingelandt, 1682
Medium: oil on copper

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artwork title: “Self-Portrait” with a Plumed Beret, 1668
Medium: oil on oval panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Frans van Mieris (1667/68)

Artwork title: Tronie Self-Portrait of the Artist, Bust-length, Wearing a Turban Crowned with a Feather, and Fur-trimmed Robe, 1667/68
Medium: Oil on oak panel, oval

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artwork title: Portrait of Dirck van Beresteyn, ca. 1652
Medium: oil on oval silver-copper alloy

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artwork title: Child’s Lesson (Hannah Entrusting Her Son Samuel into the Care of the High Priest Eli?), ca. 1656–57
Medium: oil on panel with arched top

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Caspar Netscher (Prague or Heidelberg ca. 1639 – 1684 The Hague)

Artwork title: Sarah Leading Hagar to Abraham, 1673
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Adriaen van der Werff (1659-1722)

Artwork title: Sarah Bringing Hagar to Abraham, 1696
Medium: oil on canvas, 86 x 68.5 cm, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, ГЭ-1064

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artwork title: Death of Lucretia, 1679
Medium: oil on panel with arched top

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Godefridus Schalcken (Made 1643 – 1706 The Hague)

Artwork title: Parable of the Lost Piece of Silver, ca. 1680–85
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Godefridus Schalcken (Made 1643 – 1706 The Hague)

Artwork title: Diana and Her Nymphs in a Clearing, ca. 1685–92
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Godefridus Schalcken (Made 1643 – 1706 The Hague)

Artwork title: Young Man and Woman Studying a Statue of Venus, by Lamplight, ca. 1688–92
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Godefridus Schalcken (Made 1643 – 1706 The Hague)

Artwork title: Conversion of Mary Magdalen, 1700
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Picturing Everyday Life in the Dutch Republic

Genre painters such as Gabriel Metsu, Gerard ter Borch, and Jan Steen, who worked in dialogue with Dutch artists in Leiden and beyond, depicted a variety of subjects, from village fairs and music playing, to quiet scenes of family life and leisurely pursuits. Over the course of the century, interest shifted to depictions of the upper class in elegant interiors, as evidenced by Johannes Vermeer’s Young Woman Seated at a Virginal. The evolution of this popular genre was a result of artists’ enduring interest in the world around them.

Intimacies and Pleasures of Domestic Life

These genre scenes grant viewers access to private…

**Jacobus Vrel** *Interior with a Sick Woman by a Fireplace*

**Jacobus Vrel** *An Old Woman by a Fireplace*

**Gabriel Metsu** *Young Woman Seated in an Interior, Reading a Letter*

**Gerard ter Borch the Younger** *Lady Tickling a Sleeping Soldier*

**Caspar Netscher** *Two Women in an Interior with a Basket of Lemons*

The Spiritual Home

**Gabriel Metsu** *Old Woman at Her Meal in an Interior*

From Market to Table

**Gabriel Metsu** *Woman Selling Game from a Stall*

Humor, Folly, and Delight

**Jan Steen** *Peasants Merrymaking Outside an Inn (Previously “Fair at Warmond”)*

Professions and Painting in the Golden Age

**Cornelis de Man** *Portrait of the Pharmacist Dr. Ysbrand Ysbrandsz. (1634/35–1705) in an Interior*

**Jacob Toorenvliet** *Allegory of Painting*

**Michiel van Musscher** *Portrait of the Artist in His Studio*

Self-Portraiture

**Gabriel Metsu** *Hunter Getting Dressed after Bathing*

Frans Hals as Portraitist in Haarlem

**Frans Hals** *Portrait of Conradus Viëtor*

**Frans Hals** *Portrait of Samuel Ampzing*

Musical Harmonies

**Gerard ter Borch the Younger** *Musical Company*

**Jan Steen** *Self-Portrait with a Lute: Sense of Hearing*

**Eglon van der Neer** *Lady Playing a Lute in an Interior*

**Johannes Vermeer** *Young Woman Seated at a Virginal*

Intimacies and Pleasures of Domestic Life

These genre scenes grant viewers access to private moments in seventeenth-century daily life. Here, the Hermitage's composition by Vrel depicting an Interior with a Sick Woman by a Fireplace features a similar interior space with an empty chair and a fireplace mantle, ornamented with blue and white earthenware plates.

Artist Jacobus Vrel (Active 1654 – 1662)

Artwork title: Interior with a Sick Woman by a Fireplace, ca. 1654–56
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jacobus Vrel (active 1654-1662)

Artwork title: An Old Woman by a Fireplace, ca. 1655
Medium: oil on panel, 36 x 27.6 cm, The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, ГЭ-987

Artist Gabriel Metsu (Leiden 1629 – 1667 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Young Woman Seated in an Interior, Reading a Letter, ca. 1658–61
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gabriel Metsu (Leiden 1629 – 1667 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Elegant Lady Writing at Her Desk, ca. 1662–64
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerard ter Borch the Younger (Zwolle 1617 – 1681 Deventer)

Artwork title: Lady Tickling a Sleeping Soldier, ca. 1655
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Caspar Netscher (Prague or Heidelberg ca. 1639 – 1684 The Hague)

Artwork title: Two Women in an Interior with a Basket of Lemons, ca. 1664–65
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jacob Toorenvliet (Leiden 1640 – 1719 Leiden)

Artwork title: Doctor’s Visit, ca. 1666–67
Medium: oil on copper

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gabriel Metsu (Leiden 1629 – 1667 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Old Woman at Her Meal in an Interior, ca. 1654–57
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jan Steen (Leiden 1626 – 1679 Leiden)

Artwork title: Prayer Before the Meal, 1660
Medium: oil on oak panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gabriel Metsu (Leiden 1629 – 1667 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Woman Selling Game from a Stall, ca. 1653–54
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jan Steen (Leiden 1626 – 1679 Leiden)

Artwork title: Peasants Merrymaking Outside an Inn (Previously “Fair at Warmond”), ca. 1676
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Cornelis de Man (Delft 1621 – 1706 Delft)

Artwork title: Portrait of the Pharmacist Dr. Ysbrand Ysbrandsz. (1634/35–1705) in an Interior, ca. 1667
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jacob Toorenvliet (Leiden 1640 – 1719 Leiden)

Artwork title: Allegory of Painting, ca. 1675–79
Medium: oil on copper

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Michiel van Musscher (Rotterdam 1645 – 1705 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Portrait of the Artist in His Studio, 1673
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gabriel Metsu (Leiden 1629 – 1667 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Hunter Getting Dressed after Bathing, ca. 1654–56
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Frans Hals (Antwerp 1582/83 – 1666 Haarlem)

Artwork title: Portrait of Conradus Viëtor, 1644
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Frans Hals (Antwerp 1582/83 – 1666 Haarlem)

Artwork title: Portrait of Samuel Ampzing, 1630
Medium: oil on copper

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Gerard ter Borch the Younger (Zwolle 1617 – 1681 Deventer)

Artwork title: Musical Company, ca. 1642–44
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jan Steen (Leiden 1626 – 1679 Leiden)

Artwork title: Self-Portrait with a Lute: Sense of Hearing, ca. 1664
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jacob Ochtervelt (Rotterdam 1634 – 1682 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Singing Violinist, ca. 1666–70
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Eglon van der Neer (Amsterdam 1634/36 – 1703 Düsseldorf)

Artwork title: Lady Playing a Lute in an Interior, 1675
Medium: oil on panel

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Johannes Vermeer (Delft 1632 – 1675 Delft)

Artwork title: Young Woman Seated at a Virginal, ca. 1672–75
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Historical Lessons and Tales of Morality

Within the context of genre scenes, historical subjects, and portraiture, Dutch artists often imbued their artworks with symbolic, and even moralizing meanings. These cautionary tales provide insight into seventeenth-century Dutch values, and serve as reflections of contemporary social, political, and religious events.

Beware of Riches

**Jan Steen** *Lazarus and the Rich Man or “In Luxury Beware”*

**Jan Steen** *Banquet of Anthony and Cleopatra*

Jan Steen, Sacrifice of Iphigenia

Staging the Modern Artist: Expressions of a New Beginning

The artistic innovations of Rembrandt and his circle…

**Rembrandt van Rijn** *Portrait of a Seated Woman with Her Hands Clasped*

**Arent de Gelder** *Old Testament Figure, Probably King Solomon*

Staging the Modern Artist: Expressions of a New Beginning

The artistic innovations of Rembrandt and his circle would prove instrumental for future generations of artists. Rembrandt’s late works, and those by his last pupil, Arent de Gelder, are characterized by the expressive brushwork and gravitas that would open the door for modern painting, and continue to influence artists today.

Artist Jan Steen (Leiden 1626 – 1679 Leiden)

Artwork title: Lazarus and the Rich Man or “In Luxury Beware”, ca. 1677
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jan Steen (Leiden 1626 – 1679 Leiden)

Artwork title: Banquet of Anthony and Cleopatra, ca. 1673–75
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Jan Steen (Leiden 1626 – 1679 Leiden)

Artwork title: Sacrifice of Iphigenia, 1671
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artwork title: Portrait of a Seated Woman with Her Hands Clasped, 1660
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

Artist Arent de Gelder (Dordrecht 1645 – 1727 Dordrecht)

Artwork title: Old Testament Figure, Probably King Solomon, ca. 1685–90
Medium: oil on canvas

The Leiden Collection, New York

See Catalogue Entry See Artist’s Bio

The Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer: Masterpieces of The Leiden Collection

Photographs from the Exhibition

A fully illustrated exhibition catalogue accompanies The Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer: Masterpieces of The Leiden Collection.

Extraordinary Beginnings: Rembrandt van Rijn in Leiden

The Earliest Paintings: Allegory of the Senses

Rembrandt's Teacher

Inspiration and Competition

Rembrandt's Mother

Rembrandt's Teacher

Inspiration and Competition

Rembrandt's Mother

Artist Isaac de Jouderville (Leiden ca. 1612 – 1645/48 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Pieter Lastman (Amsterdam 1583 – 1633 Amsterdam)

Artist Hendrick ter Brugghen (The Hague 1588 – 1629 Utrecht)

Artist Jan Lievens (Leiden 1607 – 1674 Amsterdam)

Artist Jan Lievens (Leiden 1607 – 1674 Amsterdam)

Artist Jan Lievens (1607-1674)

Artist Jan Lievens (Leiden 1607 – 1674 Amsterdam)

Artist Studio of Rembrandt van Rijn

The Center of the Golden Age: Rembrandt in Amsterdam

Portraiture

Preparatory Studies

Minerva in Her Study

Rembrandt's Circle and the Dialogue of Innovation

Divine Lessons

Studies of the Natural World: Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci

Studies of the Natural World: Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn and Workshop (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Ferdinand Bol (Dordrecht 1616 – 1680 Amsterdam)

Artist Ferdinand Bol (Dordrecht 1616 – 1680 Amsterdam)

Artist Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (Amsterdam 1621 – 1674 Amsterdam)

Artist Willem de Poorter (Haarlem? 1608 – after 1648 Haarlem?)

Artist Ferdinand Bol (Dordrecht 1616 – 1680 Amsterdam)

Artist Carel Fabritius (Middenbeemster 1622 – 1654 Delft)

Artist Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden 1606 – 1669 Amsterdam)

Artist Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452–1519)

Fine Painting in Leiden: Gerrit Dou, Frans van Mieris, and their Contemporaries

The Scholarly Tradition

Gerrit Dou: Rembrandt's First Pupil

Humble Interiors and Quiet Exchanges

Elegance and Virtue

Bridging History and Genre Painting

Dou's Posterity: Godefridus Schalcken

Humble Interiors and Quiet Exchanges

Bridging History and Genre Painting

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artist Gerrit Dou (1613-1675)

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artist Gerrit Dou (1613-1675)

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artist Gerrit Dou (1613-1675)

Artist Gabriel Metsu (Leiden 1629 – 1667 Amsterdam)

Artist Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt (1640-1691)

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artist Frans van Mieris (1635-1681)

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artist Caspar Netscher (Prague or Heidelberg ca. 1639 – 1684 The Hague)

Artist Godefridus Schalcken (Made 1643 – 1706 The Hague)

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artist Frans van Mieris (1667/68)

Artist Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 – 1675 Leiden)

Artist Frans van Mieris (Leiden 1635 – 1681 Leiden)

Artist Caspar Netscher (Prague or Heidelberg ca. 1639 – 1684 The Hague)