France and Netherlands to jointly buy rare Rembrandts

The Netherlands and France will together buy two rare Rembrandts for a total of €160m, the Dutch culture minister has announced, after the two countries defused a potential bidding war.

The 17th-century paintings, which belong to the Rothschild banking family and have rarely been seen in public, will alternate between the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Louvre in Paris, Jet Bussemaker said in a letter to the Dutch parliament.

“We believe these two rare portraits should always be allowed to be admired together, alternately between the Rijksmuseum and the Louvre, so they are accessible to the broader public, both young and old,” she said, adding that the deal was cemented by Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, and the French president, François Hollande, at the United Nations this week.

The two full-length portraits of a young couple – Portrait of Marten Soolmans and Portrait of Oopjen Coppit – were painted by the Dutch master to mark their wedding in 1634. Wrangling over the future of the paintings had threatened to sour relations between the two European allies.

Read more: France and Netherlands to jointly buy rare Rembrandts | Art and design | The Guardian

The Netherlands: Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum reopens after € 373m renovation

Amsterdam Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, the home of the world's largest collection of Rembrandt paintings, has reopened after a decade-long  € 373m ( US $489m) renovation process.

Queen Beatrix's attendance at the opening ceremony was the last official appearance of her 33-year reign, ahead of her abdication at the end of April.

Read more: BBC News - Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum reopens after renovation

The Complete Rembrandt, Life Size - in Amsterdam

EU-Digest

The Complete Rembrandt, Life Size - in Amsterdam

Amsterdam: Rembrandt’s birthday(403)anniversary was celebrated yesterday with a grand breakfast in the Rijkmuseum gardens. Everyone was welcome. There was white bread with herring, Rembrandt’s favorite snack, but also coffee and a huge birthday cake. At 7.00 a.m., the first "early birds" arrived and at 8.00, Mr. Frank Heemskerk, Minister for Foreign Trade, awarded the Rijksmuseum Partner Prize to to the Canal Company for being an outstanding corporate ambassador to the Rijksmuseum.

For the first time in its history Rembrandt’s complete oeuvre will be on show. By making use of the latest digital techniques all 317 paintings, 269 etches and the most relevant of Rembrandt’s drawings can be marveled at. Even mutilated and lost works have been reconstructed for this exhibition. This unique overview has been compiled by Prof Dr Ernst van de Wetering, head of the renowned Rembrandt Research Project. A collection of originals would amount to a maximum of 50 works. Rembrandt was an extraordinary painter and each of his paintings is considered exceptional. His oeuvre requires to be seen in its entirety. The Complete Rembrandt, Life Size gives the visitor the unique opportunity to experience this impressive and majestic oeuvre in one setting. The exhibit at the Rijksmuseum opened July 5 and will remain open till September 6, 2009.