On June 14, Rijksmuseum purchased the finest portrait of Rembrandt, The Standard Bearer, marking one of the most historic acquisitions of the year. The ceremony started with heart-touching banners composed by eight classes of school children to celebrate this iconic event.
The acquisition was possible due to the efforts of the museum alongside the grant of €150 Million from the Dutch government and further contributions of the Rembrandt Association, VriendenLoterij, and The Rijksmuseum Fund. Being the last masterpiece by Rembrandt that remained in the private hands for 400 years, The Standard Bearer is extremely significant to the Netherlands’ history.
The self-portraits of Rembrandt always showed himself as a charismatic character alongside a psychological stir and a narration of the chapters of history. The General Director of the Rijksmuseum, Taco Dibbits, says,
“The Standard Bearer is one of the great self-portraits of Rembrandt and his artistic breakthrough. Proud and disarming at the same time, it is a tribute to humanity. We are deeply grateful to all those who have made it possible to show it in the Gallery of Honor of the Rijksmuseum, for now, and forever.”
Dated 1639, The Standard Bearer is one of the most remarkable compositions, which shows a forceful handling of the paint and dramatic treatment of light and shadows. The artwork is important because it represents the pivotal moment in the stylistic development of the artist. Painted with the motive to secure a lucrative commission for a militia piece, The Standard Bearer is depicted closer to the picture plane against a schematic background for a classic monumental effect.
The artist painted around 340 paintings in his lifetime. Among them, most reside in foreign museums and private collections. In the series of 44 paintings of the artist from the Netherlands, Rijksmuseum now holds 22 of his most significant ones, which gives an overview of his life. Having Standard Bearer, one of the first paintings of Rembrandt after establishing himself as an independent artist in Amsterdam, the Museum completes the missing link of Rembrandt’s life overview.
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Featured Image: The Standard Bearer at Rijksmuseum; Photo: Rijksmuseum/Olivier Middendorp.
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