Norton Museum Shows Largest Dutch Collection
Norton Museum in Florida is exhibiting a Rembrandt exhibition featuring the largest private collection of Dutch 17th-century paintings. The show highlights masterworks from the Golden Age of Dutch art in a major U.S. museum setting.
The exhibition, titled "Art and Life in Rembrandt's Time," is on view from October 25, 2025, through March 29, 2026. It features over 75 works by 27 artists, making it the largest exhibition of privately held 17th-century Dutch paintings ever organized in the United States. The timing of the show coincides with the 400th anniversary of the Dutch founding of New Amsterdam, which is now modern-day Manhattan. The works are from The Leiden Collection, considered one of the most significant private collections of 17th-century Dutch art. Assembled by American collectors Thomas S. Kaplan and his wife, Daphne Recanati Kaplan, the collection is named after Rembrandt's native city. The collection comprises approximately 250 paintings and drawings. Beyond the 17 paintings by Rembrandt, the exhibition showcases works by his teacher, Pieter Lastman, and his students, such as Ferdinand Bol and Arent de Gelder. Also featured are prominent artists from other Dutch cities, including Frans Hals, Hendrick ter Brugghen, and Gerard ter Borch. A significant highlight is the inclusion of the only painting by Johannes Vermeer remaining in private hands, "Young Woman Seated at a Virginal." Another key piece is "Hagar and the Angel," the only privately-held painting by Carel Fabritius, who is considered Rembrandt's most talented pupil. The exhibition is organized thematically, exploring various facets of 17th-century Dutch life through portraits, genre scenes, and historical subjects. Viewers can see depictions of bustling markets, intimate domestic moments, and expressive portraits that capture the ambitions and identities of the time. Notable Rembrandt works on display include his "Self-Portrait with Shaded Eyes" (1634) and the monumental "Minerva in Her Study" (1635). The collection of his work in the exhibition spans his entire career, offering a rare look at the evolution of his style and technique. Before arriving at the Norton, The Leiden Collection has been shared with the public through blockbuster shows at major international museums, including the Louvre in Paris, the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and the National Museum of China in Beijing.
