Menselijkheid en Vrijheid

Henk Chabot recognised in Rembrandt’s work the desire to fathom ‘the essence’ of man. ‘Rembrandt will still be new and in his time a thousand years from now,’ Chabot wrote of his role model’s work. ‘Perhaps then people will know better than now the concept of humanity and freedom, which Rembrandt possessed to a great extent.’

Chabot saw himself primarily as a painter of people (in the country, on the run, at war, at home). An important starting point in the research and in the exhibition are statements by the artist himself. As a common thread, Chabot’s personal strong admiration for the universal and timeless nature of painter Rembrandt van Rijn’s work acts as a common thread. This is visible in Chabot’s use of chiaroscuro, and the treatment and depiction of hands and eyes. The theoretical framework of the exhibition is based on research by art historian Simon Oosterhuis, made possible in part by a research grant from the Rembrandt Association.

Cover Image:  Henk Chabot, Familiegroep (Vluchtelingen) (1943)