Rembrandt Lecture Series

Time:
6-7pm
Cost:
Free
Audience:
General Public, Faculty/Staff, Students, Alumni
Rembrandt van Rijn, Self-Portrait with Two Circles, 1660.

Rembrandt van Rijn,
Self-Portrait with Two Circles, 1660.
Kenwood House, London

Rembrandt – 350th Anniversary Lecture Series

Rembrandt’s death took place 350 years ago this year, in 1669. Museums across the globe, from Amsterdam to the Arabian Gulf, are staging exhibitions to commemorate his artistic legacy, and a life that was far from a masterpiece.

Sometimes dismissed contemptuously in his own time, the supreme genius of Rembrandt is now universally acknowledged. The Institute of Advanced Studies at The University of Western Australia is pleased to present a series of lectures offering insights into the artist’s life, his work and its reception.

The Global Rembrandt

Speaker: Arvi Wattel, School of Design (History of Art), UWA

A recurring image of Rembrandt is that of the solitary painter, retreating ever further into the privacy of his studio over the course of his career. Yet, the opposite could be said as well: Rembrandt was thoroughly connected to the social world of his time through patronage and his role as a teacher. There is one aspect of his social world, however, that remains under-emphasised – the artist’s engagement with global cultures. In the seventeenth century, Amsterdam - the city in which Rembrandt lived and worked - became increasingly more global: products from all over the world were available in shops and the population of the city changed significantly. This lecture explores Rembrandt's response to the ever-changing world around him.

Wednesday 19 June, 6pm, Woolnough Lecture Theatre, Geology Building, UWA

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Finding Rembrandt in Love and Life

Speaker: Dr Susan Broomhall, School of Humanities (History), UWA

This lecture explores how the character of Rembrandt van Rijn is interpreted through place, gender and emotions in museums and heritage sites in the Netherlands today. It focuses on the cities of Leiden and Amsterdam, Rembrandt’s homes, and particularly, the role of women in shaping interpretations of Rembrandt’s life and work. Historical women in Rembrandt’s life are increasingly employed as tools to understand the artist’s mind in creative responses such as Peter Greenaway’s 2006 film Nightwatching or the 2009 Australian opera by Andrew Ford and Sue Smith, Rembrandt’s Wife. This lecture investigates how heritage sites have likewise co-opted Rembrandt’s relationships with women, in a range of ways, in order to increase visitor engagement.

Wednesday 24 July, 6pm, Fox Lecture Hall, Arts Building, UWA

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