In front of the Rembrandt House, you see something striking: a giant brush, a black-and-white pattern, and a floor that seems to break open. They are optical illusions that are part of the exhibition on Samuel van Hoogstraten: painter, illusionist and pupil of Rembrandt. His artworks are the forerunner of contemporary 3D art.
A master of illusion
"Van Hoogstraten was the 3D artist of the 17th century," says JP Verhagen, PR specialist at The Rembrandt House. "He fell into oblivion a bit, but with this exhibition we are putting him back in the full spotlight." Van Hoogstraten was known for his perspective tricks and paintings that you only "understood" when you stood in exactly the right spot.
From studio to pavement
Now, to make that effect tangible, 3D artist Benny Brasco was called in. Together with his sister Angel Louise, he travels the world creating street art that visually deceives you. For this commission, he created two works: one in front of the museum entrance, and one on the square opposite.
"It's an opening in the floor in the shape of Rembrandt's R," Benny explains. "With one of those black-and-white chessboard patterns, just like Van Hoogstraten often used. And of course a brush, diagonally across the image. If someone stands on that brush and another stands in the foreground, it looks like there is metres of distance between them. Pure depth illusion."
The illusion is best seen through the lens of a still camera. "When people allow themselves to be photographed, the real effect is created," says Benny. "With one eye, you can't see depth. A camera works the same way. And that makes it perfect for this kind of work."
Temporary yet permanent
The artwork will remain intact for only three weeks. A waste? Not according to Benny: "Everything is impermanent. Art too. But if you have a good picture, it will last forever."
Van Hoogstraten meets Amsterdam
For The Rembrandt House, this project is more than just a gimmick. "We want to show what making art is all about," says JP. "How do you create depth? How do you solve visual puzzles? That connects artists from then and now. And with this collaboration, we are giving something back to the city - AND making the threshold to the museum lower."
Because let's face it: those who get curious on the street are more likely to step inside. And that is exactly the point.
