Shanghai Museum | Rembrandt and the Golden Age

First and foremost, the title is slightly misleading. While the exhibit is a representation of Holland's Golden Age of Art, there are only two paintings by Rembrandt. The rest come from contemporaries and other artists in his workshop. Outside of paintings, there are a few bemusing pieces of Dutch-made china and 20 etchings from Rembrandt's later career. The etchings are notable, perhaps, as artifacts of their time but the small monochrome pieces pale in comparison to the grandeur of the paintings and one gets the sense that they were thrown in to legitimize the top billing of Rembrandt. The two paintings by the Dutch master are naturally beyond reproach: An Oriental is a prime example of the emotional power he could evoke from a portrait, while the selective lighting technique used in The Denial of St. Peter intensifies a scene from the New Testament. Rembrandt's contemporaries also shine, though that may be the wrong word given the rich, dark colors that mark the Dutch School. The still lifes are excellent for beginners striving to understand the finer points of the genre, but it is the overcast scenes on the water that achieve maximum aesthetic effect. The simple townsfolk disembarking from a small boat in Jan Steen's The Merry Homecoming provide a vivid depiction of austere lowland life. Just as understated is a later painting of Rotterdam's languid river traffic, though upon closer inspection it is an historical piece–William of Orange is being taken to seize the English throne. Such subtlety and richness is indicative of the works throughout the exhibit. It teems with sources of inspiration for young artists, and with incisive visions for the rest of us. Though stripped down compared to its American tour, this show is still worth seeing as an important artistic epoch.

—Cameron Willard

"Rembrandt and the Golden Age" is showing through Feb. 13.