Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White—Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum

Taft Museum of Art

February 7–May 17, 2026

Co-organized by the Rembrandt House Museum (the artist’s former home and studio in Amsterdam) and the American Federation of Arts, this is the first time in 27 years that this exquisite collection of etchings will be displayed outside of the Netherlands. The show includes nearly fifty rarely exhibited works, presenting the depth and breadth of Rembrandt’s etching subjects, including portraits, self-portraits, scenes from daily life, landscapes, narrative scenes, and still lifes. The exhibition also demonstrates his centuries-long impact on the field of printmaking through a select group of etchings by Rembrandt’s contemporaries, as well as later admirers including James McNeill Whistler and Pablo Picasso. 

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669) is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. His innovation, creativity, and influence is evident not only in his paintings, but also in the more than 300 etchings he made during his career. At a time when most saw etching primarily as a vehicle to reproduce famous works of art, Rembrandt utilized the medium to create groundbreaking compositions. Filled with delicate lines and velvety shadows, his etchings often convey the same psychological intensity seen in his oil paintings. 

"We at the Rembrandt House Museum are delighted to bring Rembrandt's fascinating prints to audiences outside of the Netherlands,” says Epco Runia, Head of Collections at the Rembrandt House Museum and the show’s curator. “With this exhibition we hope to demonstrate that each of Rembrandt's prints is a work of art in its own right. If you take the time to look at them closely, a whole world opens up to you: a world in black and white, but with enormous visual richness."

In the exhibition, forty-five etchings—many among his most well-known—demonstrate Rembrandt’s pioneering approach to printmaking. Eight sections examine themes including the artist’s working directly from life, creating emotional impact through the use of light and dark, and shaping identity through portraits and self-portraits. A special part of the exhibition focuses on how Rembrandt made his etchings, through video, etching tools and materials, and copper plates used by the artist himself. Finally, fifteen etchings by later artists show Rembrandt’s impact across generations. Throughout, Rembrandt’s innovative visual storytelling emerges in powerful details of human expression, and his lasting legacy becomes evident. 

“This is an exciting time to showcase the pioneering techniques of one of the world’s most famous artists,” says Tamera Lenz Muente, curator, who will oversee the presentation of the show at the Taft Museum of Art. “One of the Taft’s most significant and beloved paintings is Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Man Rising from His Chair, so it’s wonderful to be able to further highlight his artistic achievements. In 1999, the Taft debuted etchings from the Rembrandt House Museum to critical acclaim in the U.S., and we are thrilled to be one of three museums on their second American tour. It’s an opportunity to introduce a new generation to Rembrandt’s remarkable creative vision. The intimacy of his etchings, their awe-inspiring draftsmanship, and their emotional impact make these works still very relevant today.”

Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White—Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum debuted on March 5, 2025, at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in Birmingham, UK. Subsequently, this exhibition will travel to the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina (October 24, 2025–January 11, 2026), then the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, Ohio (February 7–May 17, 2026), and will be followed by the Naples Art Institute, Naples, Florida (October 10, 2026–January 17, 2027). 

Curator

Epco Runia is Head of Collections at the Rembrandt House Museum and a specialist in seventeenth-century Dutch art, particularly Rembrandt. Runia began his career at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, worked at the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, and served as a curator and educator at the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

IMAGES

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Self-Portrait, Wearing a Flat Cap, about 1642, etching, 3 11/16 x 2 7/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), A Scholar in His Study (“Faust”), 1652, etching and drypoint, 8 1/4 x 6 5/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), The Shell (Conus Marmoreus), 1650, etching and drypoint, 3 13/16 x 5 3/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1636, etching, 6 1/8 x 5 3/8 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), The Return of the Prodigal Son (etching plate), 1636, copper, 6 1/8 x 5 3/8 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Sleeping Puppy, about 1640, etching and drypoint, 1 9/16 x 3 3/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), The Windmill, 1641, etching and drypoint, 5 11/16 x 8 3/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), The Rat-Poison Peddler, 1632, etching, 5 1/2 x 4 15/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), The Hog, 1643, etching and drypoint, 5 11/16 x 7 1/4 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Farmhouses Beside a Canal, about 1645, etching, 5 1/2 x 8 1/8 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds, 1634, etching, burin, and drypoint, 10 5/16 x 8 9/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Mary with Child, with the Cat and the Snake, 1654, etching, 3 3/4 x 5 11/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Simeon’s Hymn of Praise, 1630, etching, 4 1/16 x 3 1/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), View of Haarlem and Bloemendaal, 1651, etching, 4 3/4 x 12 9/16 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), The Star of the Kings: A Night Piece, about 1651, etching and drypoint, 3 11/16 x 5 5/8 in. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam