Rembrandt Reality: Step into Rembrandt’s world

In 1632, Rembrandt established himself as an artist with his first group portrait, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp. Today, 350 years after his death, Nationale-Nederlanden and the Mauritshuis will be jointly bringing this masterpiece to life through the Rembrandt Reality app. This app allows you to step into the room where Dr Tulp is holding his famous demonstration.

Rembrandt Reality app

The Rembrandt Reality app lets you travel back in time to the year 1632. After entering Amsterdam’s anatomical theatre, you get to look over Rembrandt’s shoulder and see how Dr. Tulp and his fellow physicians examine the body of the executed criminal Aris Kindt.

The app tells you the stories behind the painting. Did you know for example that in real life, Kindt’s corpse only had one hand? Or the Rembrandt made the painting when he was only 25? Download the Rembrandt Reality app* for Android orIOS to find out all sorts of interesting facts about this masterpiece!

The app is suited for iOS 11 ARKit supported devices (iPhone SE, 6S and later models) and Android smartphones that support ARCore (Augmented Reality) technology (Android 7.0 and higher).

Anatomy lesson

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp is a group portrait of the physician Nicolaes Tulp and seven ‘barber surgeons’, as medical practitioners were called in Rembrandt’s time. The painting was commissioned by the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons. It depicts an anatomy lesson given by Dr Tulp in January 1632. Tulp is shown explaining to the audience how muscles run along the arm. The actual painting can be viewed in the Mauritshuis in The Hague, but from now on, you can experience it anywhere you like on your smartphone or tablet.

Exhibition: Rembrandt and the Mauritshuis

Would you like to see The Anatomy Lesson in real life? Then be sure to visit the Mauritshuis: the museum is hosting a special exhibition about Rembrandt’s work until 15 September 2019. Rembrandt and the Mauritshuis is actually the first time the Mauritshuis is presenting its entire collection of works by Rembrandt in a single exhibition, including his final self-portrait and The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp.

NN and the Mauritshuis

NN Group has been a proud partner of the Mauritshuis since 2016. As one of the Mauritshuis’s main sponsors, NN aims to generate broader and more international interest in the museum and its extraordinary collection – by supporting new exhibitions, helping to attract new and younger audiences and raising the Mauritshuis’s international profile. Interested in finding out more about Nationale-Nederlanden’s support of the arts?