Northern Mannerist Prints from the Kainen Collection

September 1, 2013 – January 5, 2014
West Building, Ground Floor, East Outer Tier Galleries

This exhibition is no longer on view at the National Gallery.

Ruth Cole Kainen was one of the most important collectors of prints and drawings in recent decades and bequeathed major works to the National Gallery of Art. This exhibition―the first of three to focus on central aspects of her bequest―presents some 50 works that embody the sophisticated imagery, extraordinary stylization, and virtuoso technique of the printmaking industry that flourished in the northern Netherlands and at the imperial court of Prague in the late 16th century. Featured are choice impressions by the creator of the style, Hendrick Goltzius, as well as his outstanding early drawing Ignis. Also included are exquisite interpretations by the finest engravers of the powerful works of Goltzius and the leading Netherlandish painters Cornelis van Haarlem, Abraham Bloemaert, and Bartholomaeus Spranger. Earlier gifts by Ruth and Jacob Kainen are also on view.

Organization: Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Attendance: 35,872