Master I.S.

Serlachius Manor

12.04.2025

—17.08.2025

Vanhassa 1600-luvun ruskeasävyisessä maalauksessa karvahattupäinen mies katsoo oikealle.

The Enigmatic Contemporay of Rembrandt

EXHIBITIONOne of the great mysteries of 17th-century Dutch art is the identity of the artist who signed their paintings with the initials I.S. The works of this enigmatic master are in major art collections, although their known output is not very extensive.

The exhibition Master I.S. – The Enigmatic Contemporary of Rembrandt at Serlachius is the first comprehensive overview of the artist’s career. The exhibition also presents a number of contextual paintings by other Dutch artists. The exhibition and research project are realised in collaboration with Museum de Lakenhal in Leiden, the Netherlands. The exhibition is curated by Tomi Moisio.

The first comprehensive overview of the enigmatic master’s oeuvre

The artist who signed their works with the monogram I.S. is believed to have resided in the city of Leiden in the Netherlands during the 1620s and 1630s. Their works show significant influences from renowned Dutch artists Jan Lievens and Rembrandt, who lived and worked in the city c. 1625–1630/31.

The new research project has explored the artist’s works and identity more extensively than ever before. The research began with the Serlachius seminar held in spring 2022, the topics of which included the Fine Arts Foundation’s old European art.

“Who was the enigmatic artist who signed their works with the initials I.S.?”

With the international research project, 25–30 paintings have been identified that are known or believed to be created by Master I.S. Some of the works have disappeared and are known only from black-and-white photographs. The exhibition is the first in which a significant part of the artist’s work has been gathered in one place. After Serlachius, the exhibition will continue in the autumn at Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden.

The Serlachius exhibition includes eighteen paintings from various collections across Europe and from Canada. Fourteen of these are attributed to Master I.S. Additionally, the exhibition features four other paintings that provide a basis for comparison of the works. These works are by Jan Lievens, Gerrit Dou, and David Bailly. 

Works by Master I.S.

The artist often depicts old people in great detail and without embellishment. The models are characterised by a melancholic, side–directed gaze.

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Portrait of an old woman dressed in a grain jacket and read blouse wearing a yellow scarf round her head.
Master I.S., Old Woman in Three-Quarter Profile, 1640–1645, oli on panel, Private Collection. Photograph: Eva Steentjes.
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17th century painting in green and brown colors depicting an old man dressed in fur hat and a jacket with fur trimmings.
Master I.S., Old man dressed in Fur Hat, 1640s, oil on canvas, Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation. Photograph: Finnish National Gallery, Yehia Eweis.
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In a 17th century portrait an old woman with a brown fur collar in her coat depicted in half-profile.
Master I.S., Portrait of an Old Woman, 1651, oil on panel, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien. Photograph: © KHM-Museumsverband.
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An old painting where a young man is looking frustrated and sitting behind a table with is his upper body naked.
Master I.S., Young Scholar Half-naked, 1638, oil on panel, 54 x 40 cm, Private Collection. Photograph: David Bassenge.
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MORE INFORMATION

VIDEO

Tomi Moisio
Watch the video

Tomi Moisio, the curator of the exhibition, tells about the mysterious artist Master I.S.

BOOK

Engalnninkielisen kirjan kansi, jossa vanhan naisen muotokuva.
Explore the book

In connection to the exhibition Master I.S., a book in english language has been published – Master I.S. – Enigmatic Contemporary of Rembrandt, who is authored by international researchers of Rembrandt School.

ARTICLE

Master I.S., Old Man with a Fur Hat, 1640s, oil on canvas. Courtesy Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation. Photo: Finnish National Gallery, Yehia Eweis
Read the article

In his article, the exhibition curator Tomi Moisio writes about an artist who remained unknown.