In many respects, Rembrandt van Rijn and Peter Paul Rubens could hardly differ more: Dutch vs. Flemish; Protestant vs. Catholic; homebody vs. international diplomat. The divergent identities and milieux of these two iconic Netherlandish contemporaries are reflected in their distinct artistic styles. Broadly speaking, where Rembrandt is intimate and particular, Rubens is monumental and classicizing. The two artists take equally antithetical approaches to printmaking. Hailed as the quintessential peintre-graveur, Rembrandt produced over three hundred etchings after his own designs, while Rubens may have made only one. Instead, the Flemish master commissioned a team of skilled engravers, etchers, and woodcutters to translate his designs into print. Despite the obvious differences between these two artists who never met, some have argued that Rembrandt borrowed from Rubens particular motifs and compositions, workshop practices, and even the concept of printmaking as a means to disseminate his work. Could it be argued that influence flowed in the other direction as well, with printmakers in Rubens’s studio adopting some of Rembrandt’s innovations?

In preparation for a museum exhibition devoted to the prints of Rembrandt and Rubens, this panel welcomes perspectives from both museums and academia that interrogate the oppositions and similarities between the printmaking practices of these two artists. Papers could consider such topics as the relationship between prints and the artists’ work in other media; the concept of the “reproductive” print in each artist’s oeuvre; the role of assistants and the studio; artistic rivalry and influence; intended audiences and the art market; and each artist’s legacy for subsequent generations of printmakers. Panelists with interest in museum exhibitions could suggest groupings of prints, imagine design layouts, or propose visitor engagement strategies that would illuminate the unique contributions of these two titans of the seventeenth century.

To submit a paper proposal, please send a 300-word abstract and a 1-page CV to Holly Borham at holly.borham@blantonmuseum.org by September 15, 2026.