36 x Rembrandt – wystawa na Zamku Królewskim w Warszawie w świetle wybranych ekspozycji rocznicowych

In autumn 2019, the Royal Castle in Warsaw saw the exhibition associated with the Year of Rembrandt(Rembrandt-jaar) which celebrated the 350th anniversary of death of the Dutch painter. The publicity and promotion were well conceived and successful. The eloquent banner over the entrance featuring a section of Rembrandt’s portrait and the caption “36 x REMBRANDT” appealed to the imagination. The audience expected to see a substantial number of standalone masterpieces, but it turned out that the advertised pieces are chiefly prints along with two portraits from the permanent display. No efforts were made to have at least two high-quality works by Rembrandt brought from abroad, sourcing them instead from domestic collections only. Still, even those artefacts were not duly displayed to their best effect, which is saddening given the noble venue. The review discusses the assets and the shortcomings of the show, in order to acquaint museum professionals with the expectations of the viewers.