Kings of Spain and Netherlands open Rembrandt-Velazquez exhibition

It will cap the Year of Rembrandt at Amsterdam's Rijskmuseum by contrasting 17th century Dutch and Spanish masters.
The exhibition opens on Friday with around 60 outstanding works, including 10 by Diego Velazquez (1599-1660) and 11 by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669). It is the first time ever the work of the two is being featured together.
Rembrandt and Velazquez are the main representatives of the flourishing of art in their respective countries during the 17th century, German curator and conservator Gregor Weber said on Tuesday in Amsterdam.
"We have placed two heroes side-by-side, and their artwork in a visual dialogue," Weber said.
The exhibition was organized in cooperation with Madrid's Prado museum.
It was decided to display Dutch and Spanish paintings in pairs.
The pairs show stunning similarities, though Velazquez and Rembrandt never met, Weber said.
Among other artists featured are Frans Hals, Bartolome Murillo, Johannes Vermeer and Francisco de Zurbaran.
The Netherlands has organized numerous exhibitions and events throughout 2019 to mark the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt's death.
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