Jointly organised by the the Embassy of the Netherlands in Hanoi, Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum and Rijksmuseum - the national museum of the Netherlands, the exhibition, entitled "Blooming Light, Soaking Light: Masterpieces from the Netherlands," marks the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum Nguyen Anh Minh said that the exhibition is an opportunity for the public to enjoy classic works from the Dutch Golden Age – the period from the end of the 16th century to the 17th century.

Sixty-nine masterpieces by 66 master painters of Europe in general and the Netherlands in particular, such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Vemmer, selected from the collection of the Rijksmuseum museum, are introduced to the Vietnamese art lovers in the form of electronic and printed slide shows. The exhibition explores “light” from the symbolic, metaphorical, as well as technical perspective. 

Ambassador Kees van Baar shared the works displayed in the exhibition are some of the best of what Dutch fine arts has to offer. The art has the ability to connect and bring people together, and that is exactly what the celebration of 50 years of bilateral relations between Vienam and the Netherlands this year is all about.

Inspired by the poem “We Silver Beings, Misty Light, Plants Growing” by the famous Dutch poet Herman Gorter, the exhibition explores and rediscovers different notions of “light” through the works of art by Dutch master painters.

Examining nearly 70 pieces under five main themes: Landscape, Still Life, Portrait, Genre Art and Spiritual Realm, the exhibition recreates and interprets light in Dutch art history and reveals how it reflects the changes in the human perception of reality and the metaphysical world.

Employing a hybrid format, with the combination of fine printing on silk and digital projection, the exhibition will bring audiences an opportunity to better understand the Dutch cultural identities, lifestyle and beliefs. 

It runs until June 11,2023 at 1F, B Building, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, No. 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi./. VNA