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Extraordinary Exhibition at the Getty to Show Iconic Drawings by Rembrandt and His Pupils

The J. Paul Getty Museum has organized an extraordinary exhibition, which is the result of more than 30 years of scholarly research on the working practice of the great Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) and the teaching process he employed in his studio. Drawings by Rembrandt and His Pupils: Telling the Difference will be on view exclusively at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center from December 8, 2009-February 28, 2010. The exhibition will explore the differences between Rembrandt's drawings and those of his most important pupils-- artists such as Govert Flinck, Ferdinand Bol, Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, Carel Fabritius, and Nicolaes Maes-- many of whose identities and artistic styles have been revealed and clarified by decades of research. On view will be many of Rembrandt's most arresting sheets, as well as those of comparable beauty and importance by his students.

"Only a handful of artists have become so iconic that we refer to them by one name, and few have been hailed with more superlatives than Rembrandt," says Michael Brand, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. "I am pleased that the Getty Museum has organized this remarkable exhibition based on decades of research by leading scholars-bringing to Los Angeles Rembrandt's finest drawings from around the world."

For centuries, scholars have struggled to discern the difference between drawings by Rembrandt and those of his pupils. From the time of his early success in Leiden and Amsterdam, Rembrandt maintained one of the most active studios of the 17th century-with more than 50 students passing through during its nearly 40 years of operation. In the studio, Rembrandt's numerous students imitated the master's drawing style, rendering the same subjects that he did, drawing from the same models, and even accompanying him on sketching trips outdoors. Because his pupils drew so assiduously in his style, there was confusion about the authorship of the work - even immediately after his death...
Read entire article at Artdaily.org