Turning Heads Exhibition Identity

Turning Heads: Rubens, Rembrandt, and Vermeer at the National Gallery of Ireland presented a remarkable collection of works by some of history’s most celebrated painters, including Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Johannes Vermeer. The brief was clear: this was not just another 16th-century portrait exhibition—it needed to break down barriers and make these masterpieces relevant to today. The exhibition focused on the unique style of the Flemish Baroque and Dutch Golden Age known as the ‘tronie.’

Translating to ‘face,’ tronies feature exaggerated or characteristic facial expressions and, unlike traditional portraiture, do not depict identifiable individuals. Freed from the constraints of a sitter’s vanity, they offer fascinating insights into artistry and human nature.

The exhibition identity embraced the tronie’s modern and subversive spirit with a bold reimagining of the period’s colour palette and a playful twist on the ‘turning heads’ concept in the title graphic. Intimate crops and engaging settings helped dissolve the barriers of time, inviting viewers to connect with these centuries-old characters and rediscover the old masters from a fresh, contemporary perspective.