Turning Heads exhibition brings Dutch masters to Ireland

In The Frame: As well as pieces from its own collection, the National Gallery has borrowed works from overseas collections for its stunning exhibition

Turning Heads: Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer at the National Gallery of Ireland includes Rembrandt's 'The Laughing Man', and 'Girl with a Red Hat' by Johannes Vermeer.

The Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn led a colourful life. Despite his great success, he was often in debt or embroiled in scandal over his romantic entanglements. “Life etches itself onto our faces as we grow older,” he once wrote, “showing our violence, excesses or kindnesses.” 

 Over the 40-odd years of his career, Rembrandt produced nearly 100 self-portraits - including paintings, etchings and drawings - that are notable for the honesty with which he described his aging features. Among his many talents, he was a master of the ‘tronie’, a form of portraiture popularised by Dutch and Flemish artists in the 16th and 17th centuries. His work in the genre features prominently in the new exhibition Turning Heads: Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer at the National Gallery of Ireland.