Celebrating Rembrandt - STEVEN R. TABOR

Celebrating Rembrandt

Did Leiden play a special role in the history of world art?

Rembrandt was born on July 15, 1606 in the city of Leiden. The city has hosted a series of Rembrandt days on the second weekend of July each year since 2019 to celebrate the anniversary of his birth. For the first celebration in 2019, the Pieters quarter was transformed into an "authentic as possible" 17th century setting, complete with several hundred volunteer actors and actresses, historical sketches and period decorations. This series presents street portraits taken at a number of the many different skits which were presented during Leiden's first Rembrandt Days celebration. If you'd like to see the full 2019 series, download the PDF catalogue by clicking here.

After a two year hiatus, the Rembrandt Days were held again in 2022. This festival, launched in the shadow of the pandemic, took witchcraft, harsh justice and the plague as its defining themes. The young Rembrandt continued to paint, but he was confronted by complaining clients, pestilence, and the stink of death and despair---and somehow all of this was portrayed in the spirit of "let's just make the most of it." If you'd like to see the full 2022 series, download the PDF catalogue by clicking here.

In 2023 and 2024, the Rembrandt days were held once again, and the theme was life returning to normal. The nobility roamed the streets; marriages were debated; civil crimes were punished; games were played; and a good time was certainly to be had. The highlight of the 2023 festival was a re-enactment of Rembrandt's most famous painting: "The Night Watch". If you'd like to see the full 2023 series, download the PDF catalogue by clicking here. In 2024, there was a wonderful re-enactment of the Jewish Bride and much more. To see the full 2024 series, download the PDF photobook here.