EXHIBITION ON SCREEN is the originator and market leader in films bringing blockbuster art exhibitions to cinemas. Working with the top international museums and galleries, their films intertwine exclusive behind-the-scenes footage with artists biographies to offer a cinematic immersion in the world’s best loved art. Several of their films focus on Dutch artists. Find below the schedule for upcoming screenings of Dutch-artist related films and their synopsis!
November 3, 2019: Van Gogh & Japan at the Gunn Memorial Library in Washington, CT.
November 7, 2019 – November 23, 2019: Van Gogh & Japan at the Chatham Orpheum Theater in Chatham, MA.
November 7, 2019: Van Gogh & Japan at the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines, NC.
November 10, 2019 – November 15, 2019: Van Gogh & Japan at the Honolulu Museum of Art in Honolulu, HI.
November 22, 2019: Van Gogh & Japan at the Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington in Worthington, OH.
December 3, 2019: Rembrandt at Willow Valley Communities in Willow Street, PA.
December 3, 2019: Van Gogh & Japan at Naro Cinema in Norfolk, VA.
December 6, 2019: Rembrandt at Yellow Stone Art Museum in Billings, MT.
December 15 & 16, 2019: Rembrandt at Old Greenbelt Theatre in Greenbelt, MD.
January 2, 2020: Van Gogh & Japan at Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, MT.
January 7, 2020 – January 28, 2020: Van Gogh & Japan at Rehoboth Beach Film Society in Rehoboth Beach, DE.
July 8, 2020: Girl with a Pearl Earring at Bijou Cinemas in Eugene, OR.
Van Gogh & Japan journeys from the critically acclaimed exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, to the beauty of Provence and the enigma of Japan itself. Featuring Van Gogh’s personal letters and written accounts by friends and contemporaries this extraordinary and moving film reveals the fascinating story of Van Gogh’s little-known deep connection to Japanese art, despite never travelling to Japan himself, and the role it has in understanding his most iconic works. As well as investigating the expression of Van Gogh’s ‘japonisme’, the film explores how Japanese society have developed an affinity to Van Gogh’s work as a result of his engagement with their culture. Featuring insights from contemporary artists, including calligrapher Tomoko Kawao and performance artist Tatsumi Orimoto, Van Gogh & Japan provides revealing and modern perspectives on the rich, symbiotic relationship between Van Gogh and Japan.
As the Edo period came to an end in 1868 and Japan opened up to the West, Paris became awash with all things Japanese in the form of decorative objects and colourful woodcut prints called ‘ukiyo-e’. Whilst Van Gogh had no desire to visit Japan, he became fascinated with elements of their visual culture and how they could be adapted in his own pursuit of a new way of seeing. He read descriptions of Japan and studied Japanese works carefully, learning from their bold and contrasting use of colour, their compositional fluidity of line and their unusual croppings of natural forms. He also acquired a large quantity of Japanese prints which he tried to sell without success, although they did provide a great source of inspiration.
In 1888, Paris became too much for Vincent and he left for the south of France, in the pursuit of new subject matter and a healthier life. In Provence, he discovered a beautiful landscape, powerful light and exotic people which spoke to his idealised vision of Japan – his Japanese dream. The productive yet troubled years that followed produced some of the most unique and iconic works in Van Gogh’s oeuvre such as The Sunflowers and his series of iconic portraits.
Filming ‘Courtesan (after Eisen) 1887’, Van Gogh & Japan © EXHIBITION ON SCREEN (David Bickerstaff)
To mark the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt’s death and the Year of the Dutch Golden Age, EXHIBITION ON SCREEN presents Rembrandt on the big screen from 9 April 2019; back by popular demand.
Filmed in exquisite detail, the camera offers a privileged view of the once-in-a-lifetime 2015 Late Works exhibition at the Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and London’s National Gallery. Rembrandt’s creativity gathered new energy in the closing years of his life. It is the art of these late years – soulful, honest and deeply moving – that indelibly defines our image of Rembrandt the man and the artist. This landmark exhibition was a unique opportunity to experience the passion, emotion and innovation of Rembrandt. With behind-the-scenes access revealing the preparations of the show, the film reveals a fresh and fascinating full biography of this great artist.
The film features interviews with the show’s curators Betsy Wieseman and Jonathan Bikker. Artist Richard Twose demonstrates Rembrandt’s painting technique whilst Dolores De Sade illustrates the revolutionary way that Rembrandt worked with printmaking, a brand new art form at the time. Philosopher AC Grayling provides a fascinating insight into the nature of ‘self’ and how this applies to Rembrandt’s self-portraits.
The film also explores the evolution of his artworks from biblical masterpieces such as The Stoning of St Stephen (1625) to key masterpieces like The Nightwatch (1642) through to his later accomplishments such as The Jewish Bride (c.1665-1169).
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN is produced by award-winning arts documentary maker Phil Grabsky and Seventh Art Productions. Phil says;
“Rembrandt is one of those artists frequently called an all-time great but to really understand the biography you need to look at the detail, to have someone explain what we’re looking at and why it’s significant, to really grasp why he’s so revered. That is exactly what we do in these films. You might have missed this once-in-a-life exhibition when it happened in 2015, but with our film you have a second chance to explore this genius of paint on the big screen.”
Rembrandt, Portrait of a Couple as Isaac and Rebecca, known as The Jewish Bride, c. 1665 © Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
In EXHIBITION ON SCREEN: Girl with a Pearl Earring – and other treasures from the Mauritshuis in The Hague, the camera offers an exclusive view of world-renowned Mauritshuis Museum, going behind-the-scenes to look at the extraordinary Girl with a Pearl Earring. The film seeks to answer the questions that have haunted art lovers for decades: who was she? Why is it so popular? Why and how was it painted? Many of the clues that the film finds lie in other masterpieces housed in the collection.
Johannes Vermeer is one of the great Dutch masters and his Girl with A Pearl Earring from c. 1665 is one of the most enduring paintings in the history of art. He was the master of light, a talent that is beautifully depicted in Girl with a Pearl Earring in the softness of the girl’s face, the glimmers of light that touch her lips and of course the shining pearl.
A recent world tour garnered huge queues lining up for a glimpse of its majestic beauty. Over a million visitors came to see it in Tokyo – the biggest exhibition in the world in 2012. Interest in the most iconic of Vermeer’s works was clearly heightened by Tracy Chevalier’s blockbuster novel Girl with a Pearl Earring and Peter Webber’s subsequent 2003 drama, starring Hollywood stars Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. But there’s more to the story than that.
Following two years of extensive renovations The Mauritshuis in The Hague was reopened by King Willem-Alexander in June 2014. A bright and spacious new underground foyer connects the Royal Dutch Shell Wing to the historical seventeenth-century building which has been thoroughly renovated and embellished. The world art critics gave a unanimous 5-star review to this wonderfully refreshed venue.The Mauritshuis displays a collection of world-famous paintings by Dutch and Flemish masters from the Golden Age. Masterpieces such as The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt, The Goldfinch by Fabritius, The Bull by Potter and of course Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, are on permanent display in the intimate rooms of this majestic seventeenth-century house.
Cinema audiences will enjoy unparalleled access to what some call ‘The jewel of Northern Europe’s museums’ and detailed, fascinating, illuminating insight into an extraordinary work.
Acclaimed British actor Hugh Bonneville narrates.
Perhaps more than any other artist, Van Gogh’s life has long captured the imagination of storytellers. Delving deep into his fascinating and sometimes deeply troubled world comes this definitive, award-winning documentary directed by David Bickerstaff. Showcasing Van Gogh’s iconic works like never before and featuring exclusive interviews with the curatorial team at the Van Gogh Museum, this EXHIBITION ON SCREEN favourite makes a much-desired return to the big screen.
Vincent van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing provides an extraordinary biography of Van Gogh’s life made with privileged access to the treasures of Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, featuring interviews with key curators and historians including Vincent Willem van Gogh (great grandson of Theo van Gogh), Dominique Charles Janssens (President of the Institut Van Gogh), Axel Rüger (Director, Van Gogh Museum) and Van Gogh Museum Senior Researchers Teio Meedendorp and Louis van Tilborgh. With complete access to the galleries and the storerooms, this film gives audiences unprecedented views of Van Gogh’s remarkable paintings and drawings.
The Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of Vincent’s artistic output in the world and features iconic works such as The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, Irises, The Bedroom and many of his self-portraits. Vincent van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing provides a high-definition cinematic experience of seeing Vincent’s masterpieces up-close on the big screen while narrating these images with new insights and interpretation.
Vincent van Gogh was a prolific letter-writer and with access to an entire collection – to choose the most revealing and moving moments – EXHIBITION ON SCREEN brings to life these illuminating letters with actor Jamie de Courcey as Van Gogh, tracking Van Gogh’s life from his beginnings in the Netherlands and England to his development as an impassioned artist in France.
EOS Vincent van Gogh © Seventh Art Productions, Annelies van der Vegt
Hieronymus Bosch – Visions of Genius at the Het Noordbrabants Museum (13 February – 8 May 2016) was the largest ever Bosch retrospective, bringing 36 of his 44 surviving works together in Den Bosch. The exhibition took a radical approach, offering research and conservation expertise in exchange for loans from the world’s best museums. Over 420,000 people flocked to the exhibition to marvel at Bosch’s curious creations, with opening hours extended to 1am to accommodate the phenomenal demand.
Now audiences can enjoy a front row seat to Bosch’s extraordinary homecoming – without the crowds. Accompanied by expert insights from the exhibition’s curators and leading cultural critics, the film will delve into the life of the visionary artist to explore the inspiration behind his strange and haunting works. Contributors include maverick filmmaker and artist Peter Greenaway, The Times’ Chief Art Critic Rachel Campbell-Johnston, and Director of the Het Noordbrabants Museum Dr. Charles de Mooij.
The Curious World of Hieronymus Bosch will allow audiences to appreciate the detail of Bosch’s paintings like never before, offering close-up views of the curiosities hidden within his brimming canvases, from cannibalistic clergymen to threeheaded birds.
The film brings to life the original form of Bosch’s famous altarpieces, which have long been separated and are now divided between the world’s great museums. It also reveals new discoveries made by the Bosch Research and Conservation Project during preparations for the exhibition, using cutting-edge technology to uncover yet further layers to Bosch’s multifaceted paintings.
Interviewing Jos Koldeweij © EXHIBITION ON SCREEN, David Bickerstaff
