01.07.23- 15.10.23
Rembrandt painted two peacocks – dead peacocks to be specific. It is a very special work of art. There is only a single other painting by him in which a dead bird plays the leading role (The Bittern Hunter, 1639). The picture with the peacocks has the character of a decorative piece, a work of art meant to enliven an interior. These were often hung up high, for example above a door. Peacocks are suitable subject matter for such a decorative piece, because it conjures the atmosphere of the countryside.
Coincidence or not, Rembrandt painted the peacocks around the time that he came to live in this house on the Jodenbreestraat. Perhaps he even made it for his own new house. In this way he could bring a piece of idyllic country life into his residence in the busy city.
In the multimedia tour you can find two ways of looking at and experiencing Rembrandts Still Life with Peacocks, much like a guided meditation.
