On November 5, the “Rubens, van Dyck and the Flemish school of painting: Masterpieces from the collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein” exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing was officially opened in the presence of various representatives from the Princely House of Liechtenstein. LGT Group is the main sponsor of the exhibition, which runs until February 15 and showcases 100 works of Flemish art from the 16th and 17th centuries.
The “Rubens, van Dyck and the Flemish school of painting: Masterpieces from the collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein” exhibition marks the first time that an impressive selection of masterpieces from the Princely Collections of the House of Liechtenstein has gone on show in China. The exhibition contains Flemish paintings, prints and tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries, including works by pioneers from the initial heyday of Flemish painting, such as Quentin Massys and Jan de Cock, as well as the Brueg(h)el family of artists. Also featured are paintings by the two main exponents of Flemish art, Peter Paul Rubens and Anthonis van Dyck, including 11 portraits by Van Dyck, such as
The Portrait of Maria de Tassis
and Portrait of a Genoese Nobleman.
The exhibition also draws a thread from them to their successors, tracing the development of painting in the southern Netherlands throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Ruben's studies, oil painting and tapestry of Mars and Rhea Silvia are displayed side by side to show the process behind the masterpiece.
Peter Paul Rubens, Detail from "Mars and Rhea Silvia", c. 1616/17
© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz-Vienna
Rubens' portrait of his 5-year-old daughter, Portrait of Clara Serena Rubens, is another highlight of this exhibition, with the vivid details and touching expression of the child's face.
Peter Paul Rubens, "Portrait of Clara Serena Rubens"
Peter Paul Rubens, "Portrait of Ian Vermoelen"
Peter Paul Rubens, "The Conversion of St Paul"
Peeter Neeffs, the Younger (1620-1675), Detail from "Interior View of Antwerp Cathedral",
HOHENBUCHAU COLLECTION, © LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vienna
Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Detail from "The Numbering at Bethlehem", 1607
© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz-Vienna
Jan Brueghel the Elder, Detail from "Landscape with young Tobias", 1598 *
© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz-Vienna
400 years of collecting
The Princely Collections are the result of over 400 years of continuous art collection by the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. They include masterpieces of European art and are regarded as one of the most significant private collections in the world today. The foundations for the Princely Collections were laid back in 1600 by Prince Karl I. Since then, the Princely House has demonstrated its expertise in strategically supplementing, carefully consolidating and expanding its collections over the generations. It continues to pursue an active acquisition policy to this day.
Fifth stop on the Asian tour
From November 5, 2013 to February 15, 2014, art lovers and enthusiasts have the chance to catch a glimpse of the impressive masterpieces from the Princely Collections on display at the National Museum of China. This is the fifth stop on the Collections’ tour through Asia - last year the works featured in a guest exhibition at the National Art Center in Tokyo, and this year they have already been on show at the National Museum of Singapore, the Museum of Art in Kochi and the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art. The masterpieces will go on display again in March 2014, this time at the China Art Museum in Shanghai.
