Cleveland Museum of Art's 'Rembrandt in America' distinguishes the master from his followers

Posted March 04, 2012 in Articles

Author: Steven Litt, Plain Dealer Reporter

The 17th-century Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn is so exalted that his name, like those of Michelangelo, Shakespeare and Tolstoy, is synonymous with the idea of genius in Western culture.
Nevertheless, it's easy to stroll quickly by one of Rembrandt's moody, atmospheric portraits or religious paintings and check it off the great cultural bucket list of life: Been there, seen that.
The Cleveland Museum of Art, in its new exhibition, "Rembrandt in America," has something different in mind. It wants you to slow down, to look closely and to grapple with factors that separate the master from his many followers, with whom his output was often confused by American collectors eager to own a piece of a legend.

Original Article: http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2012/03/cleveland_museum_of_arts_rembr.html