Rembrandt show opens this weekend in Minneapolis

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by Heather Beckius, Minnesota Public Radio

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minneapolis Institute of Arts will open its "Rembrandt in America" show on Sunday. The exhibit is the largest show of paintings by the 17th century Dutch master ever assembled in the United States.

MIA President Kaywin Feldman calls the 17th century Dutch master the greatest artist who ever lived. "I'd say his paintings are phenomenal because of the way that he captures human emotion," Feldman says. "You can't look at any of the portraits in the show without feeling like you have a sense of the person speaking to you in the canvas."

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Feldman adds: "His whole handling of paint is remarkable. You really get the sense of the flesh and the blood beating, pulsing behind that flesh. He captures hair and color and texture in the most remarkable ways."

The exhibition features 30 works by Rembrandt, all from U.S. museums and collections, and another 20 paintings once believed to be his work but now recognized as the work of his students. Feldman says the show will allow visitors to experience Rembrandt's artistry and to see the continuing academic discussion surrounding his work.

Feldman says many collectors are reluctant to lend their Rembrandts to other institutions, so this is a rare opportunity to see these works.

"It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Feldman says. "The last time the MIA had an exhibition like this was 50 years ago, so there won't be another one for perhaps many, many generations. And so people just have to come and see the genius firsthand, and it really is overwhelming."

The show runs through mid-September.