Rembrandt’s First Masterpiece at the Morgan Library & Museum

Before going on to a stellar career in Amsterdam, young Rembrandt van Rijn already had proven his worth. His 1627 painting, Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver, a little know biblical scene that appears in only one of the four gospels, got the attention of a diplomat and art connoisseur named Constantijn Hyygens, who had paid a visit to the young artist’s Leiden studio and wrote a rave-up review, amazed that “a youth, a Dutchman, a beardless miller” could produce a work that compares to “all the beauty that has been produced through the ages.”

The painting, from a private British collection, is now on view for the first time in the Untied States at The Morgan Library & Museum, along with five preparatory drawings, several self-portrait drawings and a group of etchings and drawings that show the development of artist’s mature style.

Tonight at 6:30, Per Rumberg, Curator, The Royal Academy of Arts, will present an illustrated talk in celebration of the exhibition. Info

The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue, NY, NY. Info

Above: Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver, 1629. Oil on panel. Private collection. © Private Collection, Photography courtesy of The National Gallery, London, 2016. 

Shakespeare in the Park—and in the Parking Lot

For many, summer in New York begins with the Public Theater’s free Shakespeare in the Park, continuing at the Delacorte Theater since its founding in 1954 by Joseph Pap. This year, The Taming of the Shrew, with an all-female cast, runs through June 26, followed by Troilus and Cressida, starting July 19^th. Info This year a Mobile Ticket Lottery app enables you to try out for tickets online, instead of in line. Info

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot winds up its Spring Season at Bryant Park this weekend with free performances of Much Ado About Nothing. Presented by The Drilling Company, the production is staged on the Upper Terrace, facing the rear of the New York Public Library, with performances tonight and Saturday at 6:30 pm. Info 
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot will resume on July 7^th with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in the parking lot behind The Clemente (Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center), located at 114 Norfolk Street (east side of Norfolk Street between Delancey and Rivington Streets), NY, NY. Info