Exhibition: Christmas with Rembrandt

The prints of Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn offer a wide range of insights into the themes that fascinated him. After teaching himself how to etch on copper plates, the Dutch artist used this medium to experiment with different compositions and stylistic devices. This diversity is evident in almost 300 very different self-portraits, studies, landscapes and biblical scenes. The Christmas story according to Luke held a special appeal for Rembrandt. With dedication and astonishing openness, he artistically addressed the cultural and religious debates of his time and invites us to engage in dialogue.

On display are 33 motifs that form an important part of the graphic arts collection in Göttingen. These works, which are shown as large-format reprints of the original prints, offer viewers a new perspective on Rembrandt's masterpieces. This is not just a matter of enlarging classical motifs, but rather of the fascinating interplay of light and dark, shades and textures, and a deeper artistic exploration of these elements.

Gert W. Schwab – founder and long-time managing director of SchwabScantechnik, Göttingen, and the Göttingen-based art publishing house Göttinger Verlag der Kunst – known for his eye for detail and his experimental approach to photography, devoted himself to Rembrandt's etchings with a dedication that went far beyond traditional reproduction. He reworked the prints several times in order to reinterpret the subtle interplay of lines, hatching and shading – Rembrandt's chiaroscuro – in his own unique way.

Particularly noteworthy are the landscape depictions, which Schwab reworked with extraordinary precision in order to recreate and simultaneously transform the lighting moods and atmospheric effects typical of Rembrandt. But Schwab also worked on other large-format reproductions, such as ‘The Descent from the Cross’ and ‘The Raising of Lazarus,’ with tireless dedication in order to bring out the chiaroscuro of the prints in his own way, thereby re-staging the emotional depth and drama of the etchings. Capturing the complex interplay of light and dark was both a technical challenge and an artistic mission.

These repeated reworkings resulted not merely in illustrations and reproductions of Rembrandt's etchings, but rather in independent artistic works that partially re-enact the original motif.

The exhibition Christmas with Rembrandt was conceptually developed in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Martin van Gelderen (Göttingen), Gert W. Schwab † (Göttingen), Prof. Ivan Gaskell (New York) and Dr. Anne-Katrin Sors (Göttingen). It was set up and implemented in collaboration with the team at Göttinger Verlag der Kunst.

Where?

Göttinger Verlag der Kunst

ImFlurGalerie

Geiststraße 11 | 37073 Göttingen

The entrance is not barrier-free.

When?

13.11.2025 – 12.02.2026

opening hours:

Thursday, Friday 14:00 – 19:00h

Saturday 11:00 – 17:00h

Closed on public holidays and from 24.12.2025 to 01.01.2026.

Admission

Admission is free.

Tours with Prof. Dr. Martin van Geldern are on Saturdays 14:00h.

Special tours for groups of at least 10 to maximum 20 people are available by arrangement.

E-Mail: rembrandt@erasmianmartin.world