Netherlands King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima on Wednesday inaugurated a special exhibition at an iconic museum here that celebrates 400 years of shared cultural heritage of the two countries and showcases some of the original work of iconic Dutch painter Rembrandt, officials said.
The exhibition titled 'Indo-Dutch Connections in the Age of Rembrandt' is the first ever cooperation in India between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) and Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
"The royal couple opened the exhibition today with a lamp lighting ceremony, together with representatives of both the museums in the presence of officials from the Maharashtra government, and members of culture and business circles. After that, the King and Queen also were given a special walkthrough of the exhibition guided by curators from both the museums," a senior official of the Dutch consulate here said.
The exhibition includes 12 objects on loan from the Rijsksmuseum to CSMVS, who have added 10 pieces from their own collection to complement the selection in this special joint initiative, the consulate said in a statement.
"The whole project was conceptualised to celebrate 400 years of cultural heritage between India and the Netherlands and the 350th death anniversary of the iconic Dutch Master painter Rembrandt. It has been curated jointly and tells a story which is based on the book authored by Prof Jos Gommans, Chair of Colonial & Global History at Leiden University.
"This book, titled 'The Unseen World: India & the Netherlands from 1550' was commissioned by the Rijksmuseum to highlight the cultural ties between both countries and was the basis of curation of this exhibition," the statement said.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are visiting India at the invitation of President Ram Nath Kovind, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
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Mumbai is the second leg of their five-day visit to India, the first state visit of the royal couple to the country.
"We are extremely happy to support this collaborative effort on the exhibition. This has been an excellent way to celebrate 400 years of shared cultural heritage between India and the Netherlands. We feel that this exhibition is iconic in that it not only includes some etches by Dutch Master Rembrandt, but also some works by artists from the same era like Goltzius and Kesu Das," Guido Tielman, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Mumbai was quoted as saying in the statement.
"In fact, what I feel is quite unique about this exhibition is that it features various miniature paintings that reflect how the work of Indian and Dutch artists influenced and borrowed styles from each other. We really hope that visitors to the exhibition are as fascinated by this as we are," he said.
The exhibition will showcase some of Rembrandt's original work and other miniature paintings by artists from his era, it said.
It will be on display at the CSMVS from October 17 to December 16, the consulate general said.
Born in 1606, Rembrandt van Rijn was a Dutch draughtsman, painter and printmaker, and an innovative and prolific master in the three media. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art and the most important in Dutch art history.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Director General, CSMVS said the year 2019 marks the 350th death anniversary of master Dutch artist Rembrandt and CSMVS is delighted to be partnering with the Rijksmuseum for the very first time for the exhibition 'India and the Netherlands in the Age of Rembrandt'.
"What is truly noteworthy is the spirit of collaboration between the two museums with the two curatorial teams working trans-continentally in sharing their collections and co-curating this exhibition that illustrates the fascinating history shared by India and the Netherlands during the 'Golden Age'.
"It is CSMVS' constant effort to bring to the people of Mumbai, cultures and histories from all around the world to enrich their understanding of the world they inhabit. This exhibition graciously supported by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Netherlands is part of the celebrations of the Year of Rembrandt' and brings to Mumbai select prints by this master artist," he said.
Hendrikje Crebolder, Director of Media & Development, Rijksmuseum said, "The connection with India form an integral part of our history, and our varied Asian collections in the Rijksmuseum bear witness that the Dutch view has always been directed overseas."