Rembrandt painting to come to the UK for the first time as part of Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibition

Dining with gods: Philemon And Baucis was painted by Rembrandt in 1658, based on a Roman fable about a couple who discover they have invited two gods into their home
image courtesy National Gallery of Art

A Rembrandt is to be displayed for the first time in Britain in an exhibition marking 350 years since his death.

The 1658 painting, Philemon And Baucis, inspired by a Roman fable about an elderly couple who welcomed two gods into their home, is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

It will be brought to Dulwich Picture Gallery with more than 30 other works, in an exhibition focusing on the 20 years Rembrandt spent painting in his studio in Amsterdam and will examine his use of light.

Jennifer Scott, the gallery’s director who is curating the show, said: “Who could believe that this exceptional work by Rembrandt would be able to travel to the UK for the first time?

“I was absolutely thrilled when the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, suggested it might be possible.

“Philemon And Baucis is central to the exhibition’s theme of unpicking Rembrandt’s mastery of light. The painting, with its depiction of two different light sources, conveys mystery and revelation, thereby underlining Rembrandt’s prowess at telling big stories, even on a small scale.” Rembrandt’s Light opens in October 2019.

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