The Rijksmuseum presents ‘High Society’: four centuries of glamour by the great masters of the history of art, including Cranach, Veronese, Velázquez, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Sargent, Munch and Manet.
The highlight of the exhibition will be Rembrandt’s pendant portraits of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit. These spectacular portraits were painted to commemorate the couple’s marriage. This will be the first time since their restoration that they will be on view to the public. The exhibition features over 35 paintings from international museums and private collections in Paris, London, Florence, Vienna and Los Angeles.
In the exhibition, Rembrandt’s Marten and Oopjen are in very exclusive company. The others include mighty rulers, such as Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, ruler of the largest domain since the Roman Empire. There are also eccentric aristocrats like the Marchesa Luisa Casati, a femme fatale who was widely known for her extravagant parties. Or Jane Fleming, who, at that time, was considered to be one of the most beautiful women in England. Prominent burghers, such as the German politician Walther Rathenau (by Edvard Munch) and Dr Pozzi, a dandy, gynaecologist and notorious womanizer (by John Singer Sargent), also feature among the guests of honour in High Society.
Most of the subjects are very elegantly or extravagantly dressed, so the exhibition presents a snapshot of four centuries of international fashion: from the slashed breeches and doublet of 1514 to the haute couture of the late nineteenth century.
While the glamorous portraits present high society at its very best, there are more than 80 prints and drawings depicting – in explicit detail – events that often took place behind closed doors, such as parties, drinking, gambling and surreptitious visits to brothels and boudoirs. These drawings and prints are from the Rijksmuseum’s own collection.
Rarely have so many paintings by world-famous artists been displayed at a Rijksmuseum exhibition. The paintings range from the early sixteenth century to the early twentieth century. The finest works include impressive portraits by Cranach the Elder, Veronese, Velázquez, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Sargent, Manet, Munch and, of course, Rembrandt van Rijn.
High Society celebrates the acquisition of Rembrandt’s spectacular wedding portraits of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit by the Netherlands (Rijksmuseum) and by France (Musée du Louvre) in 2016, from a private collection. Following the completion of restoration work in early 2018, this is the first time the public will see these paintings in their full glory. The High Society exhibition is the prelude to the Year of Rembrandt in 2019, when the 350th anniversary of this great artist’s death will be extensively commemorated.
The audio tour features commentaries by fashion expert Cecile Narinx and society watcher Jort Kelder about the often extravagant elements of fashion and the ins-and-outs of High Society down through the ages.
You can download it to your own smartphone, free of charge, or rent an audio guide at the exhibition.
The exhibition High Society is made possible by the Blockbusterfonds, ING, FedEx and the Patrons of the Rijksmuseum.
The conservation treatment of Rembrandt’s portraits of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit is made possible by the Irma Theodora Fonds/Rijksmuseum Fonds, Philips and the Cevat Fonds/Rijksmuseum Fonds.
The portraits were acquired through a joint purchase by the State of the Netherlands and the Republic of France.
High Society by Jonathan Bikker (Curator of Research at the Rijksmuseum)
Dutch and English edition. Available at the Rijksmuseum Shop from March 2018 and at the Bookshop. Price €25.
An edition of the journal Kunstschrift entitled Ten Voeten Uit (Full Length) will be published to accompany the exhibition. This will be on sale in the Rijksmuseum or in the Bookshop while the exhibition is running. Price €11.
Tickets can be booked in the advance sales online. While the exhibition is running, tickets can also be purchased at the ticket counter. There is no surcharge.
