Baroque – Out of Darkness

Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrechts, Trompe l'oeil with Studio Wall and Vanitas Still Life, 1668, SMk, Copenhagen.

Baroque – Out of Darkness invites the visitor to journey back to 17th century Europe, experiencing the works of artists such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Peter Paul Rubens, and Margareta Haverman in a theatrical setting with draped curtains and Baroque music. Setting out to tell the story of a time marked by alchemy, faith and superstition, witch hunts, war, capitalism, and climate events, it is based on SMK’s extensive collection of European paintings, drawings and prints from the 17th century. A large part of the artworks have been brought out from the museum’s storerooms and retrieved from Danish castles where they have been stored for generations. After extensive restoration work, they can now be experienced for the first time in over 100 years and help shed new light on a vibrant and turbulent period that may have more similarities to our time than one might think.