Metropolitan Museum's 2007 Dutch Painting Exhibition Reorganized Collection by Donor Histories
Between September 18, 2007, and January 6, 2008, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted an exhibition titled 'The Age of Rembrandt: Dutch Paintings.' Walter Liedtke curated this showcase, which was supported by generous donations, including notable contributions from Benjamin Altman, who collected three Franz Hals pieces around 1906. The exhibition featured more than 228 artworks from the Dutch Golden Age, showcasing Rembrandt's portraits from 1632-33, landscapes by Jacob van Ruisdael, and important works like Hendrick ter Brugghen's 'Crucifixion' (1625) and Willem Claesz Heda's 'Still Life with Oysters' (1635). It explored artist relationships and came with a two-volume catalogue by Liedtke that filled gaps in the museum's collection.
Key facts
- Exhibition ran September 18, 2007 to January 6, 2008 at Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Curator Walter Liedtke organized galleries by donor history rather than chronology
- Featured Rembrandt portraits from 1632-33 including 'Bellona' and 'Man in an Oriental Costume'
- Benjamin Altman purchased three Franz Hals works around 1906 against prevailing taste
- Included Hendrick ter Brugghen's 'Crucifixion' (1625) in chapel-like installation
- Joachim Wtewael's 'The Golden Age' (1605) acquired under Liedtke in 1993
- 2005 Markus Bequest included Willem Claesz Heda's 1635 still life
- Exhibition coincided with Liedtke's two-volume catalogue publication
Entities
Artists
- Walter Liedtke
- Rembrandt
- Jacob van Ruisdael
- Meindert Hobbema
- Aelbert Cuyp
- Pieter de Hooch
- Johannes Vermeer
- Gerard ter Borch
- Gerrit Dou
- Gabriel Metsu
- Jan Steen
- Franz Hals
- Margareta Haverman
- Hendrick ter Brugghen
- Emanuel Witte
- Hendrick van Vliet
- Abraham Bloemaert
- Joachim Wtewael
- Hendrick Goltzius
- Cornelis van Haarlem
- Willem Claesz Heda
- Jan van Goyen
- Philip Koninck
- Rubens
- Velazquez
- Titian
- Van Dyck
- Picasso
- Grunwald
- Pontormo
- Rothko
Institutions
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- artcritical
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- 1000 Fifth Avenue