Two of Rembrandt's oils and 20 of his prints and self-portraits go on display tomorrow at the Shanghai Museum in an exhibition of Dutch fine arts of the 17th century.

Rembrandt and the Golden Age" exhibits 17th-century Dutch masterpieces - many never seen by Chinese outside catalogues. The three-month exhibition also features the work of other masters and fine decorative arts of the period.

On loan from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the exhibition is comprised of more than 70 pieces: oil paintings, prints, silverware and Delft faiences (glazed earthenware), among others.

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijin's (1606-69) paintings on display are "An Oriental" (1635) and "The Denial of St Peter" (1660).

His prints and self-portraits are also exhibited.

The show is divided into eight parts: "The Artists and Their World," "Still-Life Painting and the Applied Arts," "The City," "The Countryside," "Religious Images and Objects," "Burghers, Regents and Aristocrats," "The Republic and the Dutch East Indies" and "Genre."

They illuminate the multifaced social life in the Dutch Republic.

"As a great master in the use of light and shadow, Rembrandt lightened the whole world with his art," says Chen Xiejun, curator at Shanghai Museum. "This is a rare opportunity to see masterpieces we have only seen in catalogues before."

Born in Leiden, Rembrandt attended the University of Leiden at the age of 14. He soon left to pursue art and eventually became enormously successful. The master seemed to have it all.

However, within a span of five years, each of his three children died in infancy. Eventually, he had a healthy son named Titus. His wife died a year later.

Rembrandt lived well beyond his means as a successful artist, teacher and art dealer. He declared bankruptcy in 1656.

"Self-Portrait in a Soft Hat and Embroidered Cloak," an etching and drypoint print, enables viewers to see the man himself when he was 24 years old. Rembrandt produced many self-portraits to practice depicting the human face and emotions. He portrays himself in many different moods and dress.

The highlight of the exhibition is Rembrandt's "An Oriental," featuring a man in a heavy turban decorated with a gold chain and anchored by a clasp. In the sparkling highlights of the gold chain, the clasp and a necklace, Rembrandt displays his matchless technique.

"Even one dot he used could change the whole effect of the tableau," says Wang Yuhong, a Shanghai realism painter. "That is Rembrandt. The black or gray hues that he applied as the backdrop seem so 'ghostly' that few artists could do them."

Besides Rembrandt, the show also features the works of his peers.

AelbertJansz van der Schoor's "Skulls on a Table" depicts skulls and assorted bones on a table, together with faded pink peonies, an almost burned-down candle, and an hourglass. The message of transitory life is clear: Even all the wisdom in books on the shelf above the skulls cannot alter the inevitable.

Other paintings include Jan van Goyen's "View of a Town on the River," Jacob van Ruisdael's "Bentheim Castle" and Paulus Potter's "Cows in the Meadow Near a Farm."

Chinese porcelain and motifs influenced Dutch art through the republic's vast trade with the East. For example, a silver candlestick is carved with Chinese scenes and decorative motifs. The "Chinese garden motif" was popular during that period.

Date: November 3-February 13, 9am-5pm

Address: 201 People's Ave

Admission: 20 yuan

Tel: 6372-3500

(Shanghai Daily November 2, 2007)