Expectations were high when the Rijksmuseum reopened in 2013 after a 10-year, $489 million renovation, but the Amsterdam arts institution has more than met visitor goals, in part due to a new exhibition program in its Philips Wing.
“We expected 1.8 million visitors in the first year, an ambitious figure, for sure,” said Taco Dibbits, the museum’s director of collections. “In the first eight months, we had 2 million visitors and, during the period of a year and half, 4 million.”
To keep up with demand, six specialty shows are planned each year, with the current exhibit focusing on the paintings of Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn.
“Late Rembrandt,” is the institution’s first major show dedicated to the painter’s works.
Such an exhibition might come as a surprise, considering the extensive number of paintings by Rembrandt in the museum’s permanent collection, but with more than 100 pieces—some on loan from international museums, others from private collections, and many never before shown together—“Late Rembrandt” offers a singular view into Dutch life and culture in the 17th century.
The show runs through May 17. Entrance is by timed appointment; book tickets in advance at rijksmuseum.nl.
