Exhibition sponsor Shell outlines its involvement in 'Rembrandt: The Late Works'
Shell is delighted to sponsor 'Rembrandt: The Late Works'. This exceptional exhibition brings together a landmark collection of Rembrandt’s works and celebrates the innovative, experimental spirit which characterised his later years.
At Shell, we share Rembrandt’s passion for innovation, so we are proud to be part of bringing this outstanding, influential and historic collection of art to London. We are also excited to be working with the National Gallery on a unique scientific collaboration to preserve his works for the future.
You can find out more at www.shell.co.uk/Rembrandt [External link] and in the meantime we hope you enjoy the exhibition.
An unexpected collaboration
The Scientific Department at the National Gallery and Shell scientists from the Amsterdam Technology Centre have been researching a red pigment called Brazilwood Lake that was used by Dutch 17th-century artists, including Rembrandt. This pigment is prone to fading, which can gradually change the ‘look’ of paintings.
Due to the complexity of the research we have employed scientific tools and techniques more typically used to analyse the molecules in fuel to identify the molecular structure of this component. We hope to find out more about how it degrades and improve the ability to identify it.
This project is a perfect embodiment of Shell’s wider belief that unlikely and unconventional partnerships can sometimes uncover new ideas for solving the challenges of today.
The project is explored in our film 'An Unexpected Collaboration':
Supporting education
Shell is also supporting the National Gallery to produce a digital education resource which focuses on using selected works by Rembrandt as a creative inspiration for learning across the chemistry, art and design curricula. This digital resource will be available free for teachers and students to download from the National Gallery website.
