Rembrandt: The Sign and The Light
in collaboration with The Society of The Four Arts

On view December 7th, 2019 - February 2, 2020

Rembrandt: The Sign and the Light commemorated the 350th anniversary of the death of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669), the most prominent artist of the Dutch Golden Age. The exhibition presented a comprehensive overview of Rembrandt’s print oeuvre and showed how his innovations in printmaking — specifically, etching — helped immortalize him as one of the most accomplished printmakers of all time.

Rembrandt created over 300 etchings, engravings, and drypoints throughout his career. His prints combine his exceptional skills as a draftsman with his mastery of intaglio printmaking to create crisp lines and luminous, theatrical scenes. He frequently spent years working on a single image, making changes (referred to as “states”) and impressions between the various changes. Rembrandt also experimented with inks and papers, all of which increased the popularity and collectability of his prints. The Sign and the Light featured 69 prints from self-portraits and portraits of family and friends to Old and New Testament stories, landscapes, and genre scenes. The exhibition also offered visitors the opportunity to view these prints with magnifying glasses and learn about Rembrandt’s printmaking process through display cases and interactive stations created by IS Projects, a public-access printmaking and book arts studio in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Our Collaboration
Printmaking Process Display Cases

IS Projects created four display cases in the exhibition showcasing the different stages of the etching process: Etching, Inking, Printing and Creating States. Each display case featured Rembrandt facsimile plates created by artist, Anton Merbaum, alongside various printmaking tools, materials, descriptive texts and a small etching press.

The making of the Facsimilies with Anton Merbaum at Grounds Printmaking in Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Interactive Print Display

Four Florida-based printmakers, Rachel Henriques, Ali Norman, Kim Spivey and Joseph Velasquez, were invited to create a print inspired by Rembrandt. Showcasing the variety of the medium and the many ways in which it’s used contemporarily, each artist was asked to focus on one of four printmaking techniques: screen printing, relief, etching and lithography. The audience was invited to interact with and touch the prints on display in order to get a closer look at the nuanced differences between each process.

Interactive Letterpress Printing

IS Projects created a letterpress postcard with information on the exhibition using handset, antique lead and wood type from our collection. Upon the exhibition’s public opening reception, IS Projects was on site demonstrating printing the design with our 6.5x10” Craftsman Superior press. Attendees were invited to try their hand at letterpress printing and each walked away with a handprinted exhibition postcard as a keepsake.

‘Print Like the Masters’ Workshops Series

IS Projects hosted a series of workshop for adults and teens highlighting drypoint, monoprinting, linocut and bookbinding at the Society of the Four Arts during the length of the exhibiiton.