From Monday, 30 September 2019, the Amsterdam Museum wing of Hermitage Amsterdam will include a new exhibition: DUTCH MASTERS RE-VISITED.
Curated by Jörgen Tjon a Fong (Urban Myth), this presentation complements the Amsterdam Museum’s permanent exhibition at Hermitage Amsterdam, ‘Portrait Gallery of the 17th Century’. Surrounded by the enormous group portraits in the grand hall, DUTCH MASTERS RE-VISITED shows 13 portraits of prominent Dutch citizens posing as people of colour who, based on historical research, are known to have lived in the 17th- and 18th-century Netherlands.
The sitters have certain things in common with the individuals they portray. For example, Humberto Tan has photographed footballer Ruud Gullit in the role of Jacob Rühle (1751-1828). Jacob Rühle was the son of WIC employee and slave trader Anthony Rühle and the African woman Jaba Botri. In 1798 the fabulously wealthy Jacob moved to Amsterdam. Here, he eventually headed the family business – with great success. Like Rühle, Ruud Gullit is the son of a white and a black parent. DUTCH MASTERS RE-VISITED puts a face to Rühle’s name, telling his story together with 12 other people of colour who lived in the Netherlands of the 17th and 18th centuries.
The exhibition will run until 2 February 2020.
Visiting address:
Hermitage Amsterdam, Amstel 51, 15 minute walk from Central station.
More info:
www.portrait-gallery.nl