Meet Rembrandt: a slow looking experience

Visitors admire the Rembrandt self-portrait at Buckland Abbey, Devon — Rembrandt's self-portrait will be at Kingston Lacy from 12 September | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

What might you discover by spending some time with a great work of art?

Meet Rembrandt this autumn

We’re inviting you to take your time to explore one of the National Trust’s greatest treasures: a self-portrait by Dutch master, Rembrandt.

It’s on tour from Buckland Abbey in Devon. It’s playful, flamboyant and theatrical. It will be on display in the Spanish Room at Kingston Lacy (and, after Christmas, in a wheel-chair accessible space on the ground floor), with comfortable chairs and optional audio guides to prompt you into looking slowly at this masterpiece.

Gift yourself some time with one of the world’s greatest painters.

And there's more

Also on display will be the recently-conserved 'Portrait of a Man, possibly King Uzziah’. This is a copy of a Rembrandt painting (now at Chatsworth), and was bought by Sir Ralph Bankes, owner of Kingston Lacy, in 1659 during Rembrandt’s lifetime.

We'll be exploring what 'copying' meant in the 17th century, the art of the 'tronie', and Rembrandt’s popularity in his own time.

What are the details?

Rembrandt van Rijn’s ‘Self-portrait in a Feathered Bonnet’ (1635) will be on display at Kingston Lacy 12 September to 16 November, and then from 12 January to 22 March in a wheel-chair accessible space. It is a self-led experience, available during normal house opening times (10.30am-3pm).

It's a free exhibition (normal admission applies). You don't need to book; however, there are a limited number of seats and if the property is particularly busy you may be asked to come back at a quieter time.