There’s music in the Rijksmuseum print galleries!
From Hans Holbein and Jan van de Velde the Younger to Jean-Antoine Watteau
Publication date: 14 June 2023 - 09:14
This summer the Rijksmuseum presents musical highlights on paper alongside historical musical instruments. The more than 60 objects in Music! span 300 years, from the 16th to the 18th century. They include the oldest surviving French trombone, made in 1593, a Venetian lute dating from 1637, and drawings by the French artist Jean-Antoine Watteau. The display runs from 1 June to 27 November 2023, and is accompanied by music from each period in the galleries.
The display aims at creating a dialogue between the visual and auditory realms and highlights the enduring presence of music as an integral part of human life. The evocative music, primarily written by Dutch composers of the time, adds an engaging element to the exhibition.
Giovanni Paolo Di Stefano, curator of musical instruments
Music and art in harmony
Music! highlights the full range of traditional roles for music in Europe. The 16th-century print gallery is devoted to the ceremonial use of music. Music was an essential ingredient for parades, coronations, weddings and other important events, where it evoked the required sense of grandeur and splendour. In these contexts, music communicated authority, wealth and religious devotion, as depicted in the woodcut of a procession for the Doge of Venice (c. 1555-1560).
The display also shows how music in the 17th century served as a powerful means of communication, bridging gaps and fostering connections among people from all walks of life. An etching by artist Jan van de Velde the Youngershows a man singing loudly on the street.
The print gallery for the late-17th century reveals music’s importance as a form of recreation, with music being used to celebrate the gathering of social groups of all sizes. Leonaert Bramer drew a lively domestic scene showing a man playing his violin with great passion, while a cat and dog fight with one another.
The 18th-century print gallery sheds light on the outstanding French artist Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). His enchanting outdoor genre scenes, known as fête galante, portray elegantly dressed individuals engaged in music and other forms of entertainment, all around the central theme of love.
Accompanying music in the galleries
The music performed in the exhibition galleries is composed by Emmanuel Adriaenssen (1540/55 – 1604), Constantijn Huygens (1596 – 1687), Nicolaus à Kempis (c. 1600 – 1676), Johannes Schenck (1660 – 1712), Adrian Valerius (1570/75 – 1625), Nicolas Vallet (c. 1583 – 1642), and others.
Vital support
The Rijksmuseum is grateful for all the forms of support it receives. Government funding, contributions from the business sector and funding organisations, as well as gifts, bequests and Friends are all of vital importance to the Rijksmuseum.
The appointment of Giovanni Paolo Di Stefano, curator of musical instruments at the Rijksmuseum, is made possible by the Stichting Kramer-Lems/Rijksmuseum Fonds.
Afbeeldingen
Jean Antoine Watteau, 1705 – 1716. Mr and Mrs De Bruijn-van der Leeuw Bequest, Muri, Switzerland
Pieter Rombouts (possibly), c. 1690 - c. 1710. Purchased with the support of the State of the Netherlands and the Vereeniging van Noord-Nederlandsche Muziekgeschiedenis
