Makers Take Over Museum Rembrandthuis This Autumn

Press Release 
Amsterdam, 20 augustus 2026

Schiffmacher, contemporary artists and visitors get to work inside the museum

This autumn, Museum Rembrandthuis invites visitors not only to look at art, but to experience up-close how art is made - and even to have a work of art tattooed on their skin. The autumn programme reveals how Rembrandt's spirit of experimentation and fascination with materials continue to inspire artists today. From the 17th century to the present, artists have continued to observe, experiment, tell stories and innovate - just as Rembrandt himself did.

Programme

Schiffmacher & Veldhoen Return with The Poor Man's Rembrandt Project: Back at Rembrandt's House

Following the international success of the first edition in 2023, The Poor Man's Rembrandt Project returns to Museum Rembrandthuis. From Washington to India, Malaysia and Libya, the project was picked up around the world: news of Rembrandt tattoos being created in the house of the Old Master travelled far and wide.

Now comes a second edition. From 26 October through 7 November 2026, the tattoo artists of Schiffmacher & Veldhoen will once again set up shop inside Museum Rembrandthuis. Watch these contemporary masters at work or even get your own original Rembrandt tattoo created by the world-famous team.

Save the date: reservations open on the website on 28 September.

The Poor Man's Rembrandt Project: Back at Rembrandt's House will be open to visitors from 26 October through 7 November 2026.

Experimentation

Be inspired by Rembrandt and the artists who followed in his footsteps, and create your own artwork in the heart of the exhibition gallery. In Experimentation, visitors discover how artists from the 17th century onwards have continued to observe, test and innovate.

More than 80 works on paper from the collection of Museum Rembrandthuis show how Rembrandt's motto, ‘nae ’t leven’ (working from life), lives on. Take a seat at one of the drawing tables in the exhibition and follow the example of Rembrandt, Hercules Segers, Francisco Goya, Geertruydt Roghman, Willem den Ouden, Glenn Brown, Guy Vording and many others.

Experimentation will be on view from 19 September 2026 through 3 January 2027.

Rembrandt Open Studio with Marije Gertenbach and Shani Leseman

For the fifth edition of Rembrandt Open Studio, contemporary artists Marije Gertenbach (Netherlands, 1990) and Shani Leseman (Curaçao, 1996) will set up their studio in the house where Rembrandt lived and worked almost 400 years ago. From 13 November 2026 through 3 January 2027, they will be working live in the museum. Visitors can follow their creative process up close, view their new works and speak with the artists. This is as close as it gets to the craftsmanship of contemporary artists.

Previous participants in Rembrandt Open Studio include Iriée Zamblé and Timothy Voges (2020), Guy Vording and Abul Hisham (2023), Neda Mirhosseini and Rens Krikhaar (2024), and Pris Roos (2025).