Last spring, artist Casper Faassen had the opportunity to work in the 17th century studio of Jacob van Swanenburg in Leiden where Rembrandt van Rijn received his first painting lesson 400 years ago when he was 15 years old. The studio gave Faassen, who found his passion for painting in his youth after seeing the Night Watch, a huge jolt of inspiration.
Casper Faassen's series of new portraits can be called breathtaking. In fact, the story goes that the spirit of the old master has found its way into the new work. The artworks consist of transparent layers behind which an image emerges as if photographed through glass, leaving it to your imagination what exactly is taking place. This technique is loosely inspired by Rembrandt's method of painting thick bands with a coarse brush and shaping key details with a finer technique, illustrating the old master's total control over the canvas.