For the first time ever, the Rijksmuseum collection, including masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer, will be shown in the Middle East. From 11 March to 6 June 2011, the Rijksmuseum will present the exhibition The Golden Age of Dutch Painting. Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam in collaboration with the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha, Qatar. The exhibition consists of the highest quality selection of Dutch paintings from the Golden Age that the Rijksmuseum has ever loaned to a foreign party, with a total of 44 paintings by masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals, Steen, Cuyp and Ter Borch. In support of the exhibition’s goal to introduce the Arab public to the Dutch Golden Age, the exhibition will be accompanied by a publication about the period written in Arabic.

The exhibition marks the start of a long-term partnership between the Rijksmuseum and the Qatar Museum Authority, the institution to which Qatar’s museums belong. Both museums intend their partnership to emphasise the importance of cultural dialogue. As the museum representing the Netherlands, the Rijksmuseum wants to share its collection with the world and has loaned artworks to museums across the globe. This year alone, these works can be viewed at 123 different locations worldwide.