Major loan of Roslin works to Rijksmuseum Twenthe

Nationalmuseum has made a major loan of works to the Alexander Roslin exhibition at Rijksmuseum Twenthe in the Netherlands, which opens on 18 October. The loan comprises 16 well-known portraits, including The Lady with the Veil, Zoie Ghika and John Jennings Esq., his Brother and Sister-in-Law. This is the first-ever exhibition in the Netherlands devoted to Alexander Roslin and his works.

Alexander Roslin is the latest beneficiary of Nationalmuseum’s drive to promote Swedish art history around the world, which has already seen the first-ever exhibitions devoted to Anders Zorn in the United States, Carl Larsson in France and, most recently, Pehr Hilleström in Finland. The exhibition, entitled Alexander Roslin (1718–93) – Portraitist of the Aristocracy, opens on 18 October at Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede in the Netherlands. Nationalmuseum has contributed 16 of its best-known works by the much-loved 18th-century artist. The portraits on loan include The Lady with the Veil, Zoie Ghika, John Jennings Esq., his Brother and Sister-in-Law, and Gustav III. The exhibition also features several self-portraits and portraits of Roslin’s wife Marie Suzanne Giroust from Nationalmuseum’s collections.

The exhibition provides a snapshot of a turbulent period in history. During the second half of the 18th century, Roslin made his name as a portraitist by travelling around Europe painting kings, queens and members of the aristocracy. Roslin’s portraits are personal documents from an era marked by unbridled power, extreme poverty, great beauty and widespread cruelty. This is the first-ever exhibition in the Netherlands devoted to Roslin and his works, featuring a total of over 30 pieces from various collections around the world.

With the Nationalmuseum building closed for renovation until 2017, the museum is able to loan out artworks from its collections to a greater extent than usual, both within Sweden and worldwide. Nationalmuseum’s Alexander Roslin exhibition in the autumn of 2007 proved hugely popular.

Alexander Roslin (1718–93) – Portraitist of the Aristocracy is on show at Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, the Netherlands, from 18 October 2014 to 12 April 2015. More information at www.rijksmuseumtwenthe.nl.

Media contacts
Karin Jongenelen, Marketing & Communication, Rijksmuseum Twenthe, kjongenelen@rijksmuseumtwenthe.nl, +31 6 2220 4544
Hanna Tottmar, Press Officer, Nationalmuseum, hanna.tottmar@nationalmuseum.se, +46 767 234632

Caption
Alexander Roslin, John Jennings Esq., his Brother and Sister-in-Law. Photo: Erik Cornelius/Nationalmuseum.