A Unique Silence

Our ‘A Unique Silence’ exhibition belongs to you, the public. Six etchings by the famed Dutch artist, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, have been gifted to the public collection through the Acceptance in Lieu of tax scheme. You’ll be able to view the master printmaker’s work on display in our museum from 11^th November 2022 until April 2023.

Unlike some of his other works which are often associated with the dramatic and awe-inspiring style of Baroque painting, Rembrandt’s etchings communicate a unique silence that is often found in the ‘Golden Age’ of Dutch Art: the still of nature, the intimacy of the human face, and thoughtful biblical scenes,

Rembrandt’s lack of fear when experimenting with etching led him to develop a new style, and to push the limits of the technique. This work cemented Rembrandt as a printmaker who inspired the generations that followed. Alongside the six etchings, there will be accompanying works from our wider Ulster Museum print collection, which show how the medium of print has evolved and yet still reflects Rembrandt’s innovative work.

Image Caption: The Adoration of the Shepherds: with the lamp (1654) Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606 – 1699) Etching BELUM.U2019.10.4 Donated as part of the Acceptance in Lieu Scheme, 2019 ©National Museums NI

Ekphrasis

Poetry about art is call Ekphrasis. For the past five years we have invited students at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queens University Belfast to respond to our collections. They responded to the Rembrandt gift during lockdown in 2020. An artist was then commissioned to create an AI generated visual response using the prints and poems written by the students. 

Featuring poems by Elizabeth McIntosh, Matthew Rice, Leah Taylor, Cait Phenix, Jessie Metcalf, Liam Caldwell, Sorcha Ní Cheallaigh, and Jamie Field, and from Texas, Ciara Keogh, Emily Youngerman, Logan Muzyka, Shelby Sperling, Maddie West, Mackenzie Cook, Ruby Walker, and Hannah Hsu.

Video produced by Armchair & Rocket & The Seamus Heaney Centre at QUB