Summary Report: Study Day 'Rembrandt & Britain', 20 September 2018, Edinburgh
/
UK Museum and Gallery professionals working with European Paintings pre-1900 came together for a Study Day on 20 September 2018, hosted by the National Gallery of Scotland on occasion of their major exhibition 'Rembrandt | Britain's Discovery of the Master' (7 July - 14 October 2018) .
Delegates were introduced to 'Rembrandt | Britain's Discovery of the Master' by Tico Seifert, Senior Curator of Northern European Art at the Scottish National Gallery, followed by further exploration and discussion.
The show includes key loans from other collections, including the extraordinary early Portrait of the Artist as Young Man (about 1629-31) from the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, as well as star paintings such as The Mill (1645-8) from the National Gallery in Washington and from the National Gallery in London. An extensive selection of works on paper illustrates Rembrandt’s mastery of printmaking and drawing, and comparative works by Hogarth, Reynolds, Leon Kossoff, Frank Auerbach and others demonstrate the lasting impact of his genius through the ages.
After a networking lunch participants were invited to visit the Conservation, Framing and Paper Mounting studios housed at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern II). This offered a rare opportunity to learn from experts, among whom Senior Conservator Graeme Gollan, Senior Paintings Conservator Lorraine Maule and Head of Frames Conservation Keith Morrison, about micro-fading analysis, microscope authentication, varnish discolouration, fitting/glazing/mounting standards, the use of historic moulding profiles for frame making and the Scottish National Gallery Project. Plans for the latter have now been publicly announced and include a new suite of innovative and accessible display spaces designed to showcase the national collection of Scottish art, underpinned by extensive assessment, preparation and research.
