During his life Rembrandt painted four group portraits, which have all become world-famous. Everybody knows The Night Watch, The Syndics of the Drapers' Guild and The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp. Part of the fourth work, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Joan Deyman, was lost in a fire in the eighteenth century. However, the greater part of the work survived and can also be seen in this richly illustrated, compact publication. In the seventeenth century a guild or a corps would often commission a group portrait. At that time the Netherlands was at the height of its prosperity, and it added to a person's status to be a member of a guild or corps. An important Dutchman like Frans Banning Cocq or Nicolaes could gain even more prestige by having a portrait painted of himself in the midst of the group to which he belonged ? for instance by an artist like Rembrandt, who was famous even then. Because of his exceptional working method, these paintings are not only splendid portraits, but also magnificent historical depictions of the guilds and corps of the seventeenth century. Rembrandts Group Portraits shows all these well-known works and also devotes attention to Rembrandt's working method in comparison with that of his contemporaries, and the creation of his group portraits. 22 colour/ 17 b/w photos
