From Bruegel to Rembrandt: Dutch and Flemish Prints and Drawings from 1550 to 1700

Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) 
February 15–July 26, 2020

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) presents an exhibition of prints and drawings from artists such as Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Rembrandt in “From Bruegel to Rembrandt: Dutch and Flemish Prints and Drawings from 1550 to 1700” on view Saturday, February 15–July 26, 2020. This exhibition is in conjunction with “Bruegel’s The Wedding Dance Revealed.”



The exhibition features more than 100 prints and drawings from the DIA’s permanent collection. From elaborate engravings by Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) to the use of dots, dashes and “squiggles” by Rembrandt (1606–1669), Bruegel to Rembrandt reveals the range of printmaking techniques and styles used in the 16^th and 17^th centuries.

“Self Portrait in a Velvet Cap with Plume,” 1638, Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, Dutch; etching printed in black ink on laid paper. Detroit Institute of Arts:

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Drawings by Dutch and Flemish masters span lively portrait sketches to detailed preparatory drawings and were used by artists as brainstorming “sessions” for more complex works or as visual references for future pieces.



Visitors will be able to view the works through the eyes of the artists, who turned to everyday subjects, portraying the landscape and people around them with humor and loving detail. The themes include representation of everyday life, the importance of landscape, the role of Greek and Roman classical models and the use of religious imagery during the Counter-Reformation.


“This exhibition shows the incredible depth of Dutch and Flemish art in the DIA collection. It includes selections from the encyclopedic collection of prints and drawings gathered in the 1880s by newspaper magnate James E. Scripps (1835-1906) and given by his widow, Mrs. Harriet J. Scripps (1838-1933) in 1909, as well as rare drawings identified by DIA director Wilhelm Valentiner (1880–1958) during the 1920s and 1930s,” said Clare Rogan, DIA curator of prints and drawings. “Over the years we have continued to collect treasures in this area and the pieces in this exhibition include some of the more fun or ‘quirky’ prints and drawings from our collection from this time period.”