Exhibition: Nicolaes Maes: Dutch Master of the Golden Age

This exhibition is the first devoted to Nicolaes Maes, a leading artist of the Dutch Golden Age and one of Rembrandt’s most important pupils.

Featuring over 35 paintings and drawings from collections across the world, the exhibition spans Maes’s whole career, spent in Dordrecht and Amsterdam.

The art for which he is best known, intimate scenes of daily life, form the heart of the exhibition. These works show how Maes pioneered the theme of the eavesdropper; his carefully styled narratives often break the fourth wall, making the viewer a participant in the scene, as characters eavesdrop or point to illicit goings-on.

The exhibition also features Maes’s early history paintings in the style of Rembrandt, alongside works from the later period of his life, when he devoted himself almost exclusively to portraits and brought a Van Dyckian elegance and swagger to the genre.

Exhibition organised by the National Gallery, London and the Mauritshuis, The Hague