The Power of Illusion

I jest that I plan my holidays around art but in the case of my most recent trip to Vienna, I really did travel to see an exhibition. The Kunsthistoriches is showcasing a wonderful comparison of works by Rembrandt and his student Hoogstraten, and with Kenwood’s exceptional Rembrandt self-portrait making the trip, I thought I would do the same.

Rembrandt we know well, but I suspect for many gallery-goers, Samuel van Hoogstraten will be a less familiar name. I know Hoogstraten for his hyper-realistic ‘quodlibet’ (whatever you like) paintings, which according to the Met are ‘a seemingly random assortment of objects that typically contain verbal and visual witticisms about art, artists, patrons, and politics’. The trompe l’oeil pictures (literally ‘deceives the eye’) are just one of his experiments with visual effects like perspective. The name of the exhibition 'Colour and Illusion' nods nicely to this. Supposedly the curatorial team wanted to do an exhibition solely on Hoogstraten but with audiences never guaranteed, higher powers added Rembrandt in to make it a ‘big name’ show. Personally I think the comparison works well and Hoogstraten firmly holds his own against one of the most renowned artists of all time.

The exhibition charts a loose chronological and thematic journey through the two men’s careers but the room on trompe l’oeil was a real highlight. The curators ask us to question whether these paintings were bought to be items of aesthetic appreciation or to act as visual illusions, teasing and tricking their audiences. Owners might hang them in the windows to make passers by think they’re seeing a girl leaning out the window when really it’s just a picture. The paintings often include fake frames and you have to look carefully to check what’s real and what’s not. Emperor Ferdinand III was famously enthralled by one of Hoogstraten’s illusions and his popularity with the court is a key reason so many of his paintings entered the imperial collection and are now part of the Kunsthistoriches.

Close-ups of the illusion paintings

The other standout feature of this exhibition for me was the strength of visual storytelling. The layouts and design of the exhibition are first class - paintings are built into the walls, visual lines guide audiences as to which is a Rembrandt and which is a Hoogstraten, the wall colours are the perfect backdrop and structural divisions carve out more intimate spaces for viewing in otherwise grand palatial rooms. There are videos, quotes, textile hangings and high quality lighting all enabling a very calming and considered visit. Combined with the non-sellout situation, the exhibition was well attended but not crowded, enabling me to get really up close with the stunning portraits and history paintings of both artists.

Another unusual feature of this exhibition versus other big London exhibitions I've attended was the varying level of interpretation and information available. A select few paintings have an audio guide which I did not use, but each painting has a description in the small printed guide they give you upon entry. Conversely each room has an explanation about the theme on show but that is not in the book. So you can choose to read more about a painting if you wish to, or you can simply look at the work on the wall. I think this leads to a less cluttered wall space and also encourages a good pace through the show as few people are clumped around one painting because it has a long label to read. My one criticism of the show is the combination of the low level lighting with their choice of font colour - I occasionally struggled to read the descriptions. As gripes go, it's a minor one.

You won’t learn anything new about Rembrandt, but seeing the work of his highly successful student alongside allows you to appreciate the areas where his style is unique and mastery unquestioned. The breadth of genre, however, is something that Hoogstraten owns and while Rembrandt is celebrated for his history paintings to less academic audiences, I would wager his portraits are the stars. His ability to capture the details and true character of a face, while maintaining an overall softness is remarkable. He also explores trompe l’oeil and I encourage you to look closely for the placements of hands on the edges of ‘frames’ to see how subtly his figures lean out to you.

Overall, the show is wonderful and definitely one of the most enjoyable exhibitions I’ve been to this year. You can see it all in an hour and you can even make your own digital ‘quodlibet’ on the way out. Bravo Kunsthistoriches!

Below: Kenwood's Rembrandt in a central position