In the Dead of the Night.Works with Nocturnal Subjects from the Western Prints Collection of the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (16th–18th centuries)
October 23, 2025 – March 1, 2026, and it will be accompanied by a series of related events for all audience categories.
The exhibition is a project of the Graphic Arts Section, conceived by Patricia Bădulescu, curator.
A selection of Western prints from the 16th–18th centuries from the collection of the National Museum of Art of Romania, illustrating nocturnal scenes in various techniques.
The theme of the exhibition explores a subject less studied in art history, as well as in exhibitions and specialized publications.
In the Dead of the Night. Works with Nocturnal Subjects from the Western Prints Collection of the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (16th–18th centuries)
The National Museum of Art of Romania invites you to the opening of the exhibition In the Dead of the Night. Works with Nocturnal Subjects from the Western Prints Collection of the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (16th–18th centuries). It will take place on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 18:00, at NMAR on Calea Victoriei 49–53. The exhibition is a project of the Graphic Arts Department of NMAR, conceived by Patricia Bădulescu, curator.
This is a selection of Western prints from the 16th–18th centuries from the collection of the National Museum of Art of Romania, illustrating nocturnal scenes in various techniques. The theme of the exhibition explores a subject less studied in art history, as well as in exhibitions and specialized publications.
Although nocturnal scenes are often associated with painting, they were also approached in printmaking, another two-dimensional medium with expressive potential and distinct functions. The most widespread printmaking techniques in early modernity constrained artists to face specific challenges such as the absence of color and the need to suggest transitions from shadow to light solely through lines, textures and black-and-white contrasts.
In this context, artistic sensitivity and technical refinement become essential. Therefore, it is no coincidence that nocturnal imagery occupies a privileged place in the art of canonical figures in the history of printmaking, especially beginning with the 17th century. The exhibition includes graphic works by artists with a particular inclination for experimentation: Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn and his followers, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Francisco de Goya.
The works explore from various perspectives the atmosphere and symbolism of the night; they are grouped according to themes, authors and contexts. Representative works by the aforementioned masters are juxtaposed with groups of works by lesser-known but equally remarkable artists, such as Hendrick Goudt, Jan van de Velde II, Norblin de La Gourdaine.
The exhibition In the Dead of the Night. Works with Nocturnal Subjects from the Western Print Collection of the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (16th–18th centuries) remains open in the hall dedicated to graphic arts within the European Art Gallery between October 23, 2025 and March 1, 2026 and will be accompanied by a series of related events for all audiences.
Program
Halloween Workshop. In the Dead of the Night
Description:
A workshop for families in which we create Halloween masks starting from various graphic elements found in the works present in the exhibition In the Dead of the Night. Works with Nocturnal Subjects from the Western Print Collection of the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (16th–18th centuries). We visit the exhibition, read short “scary” stories about the night and the mysteries hidden in the darkness, then create our own stories and masks to frighten parents.
Date: Saturday, November 1, 11:00
Recommended age: 8–12 years
Number of participants: 5–15
Duration: 90 minutes
Price: 50 lei / participant
Registrations at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Title: In the Dead of the Night. Linocut Workshop
Description
A workshop dedicated to the linocut technique, organized within the exhibition, where participants will be introduced to a brief history of the technique, with references also to other printmaking techniques: woodcut, etching, aquatint, which will be exemplified through the works in the exhibition. The workshop also includes a practical component, through which participants can experiment with the linocut technique.
Date: Saturday, November 15, 11:00
Recommended age: adults
Number of participants: 5–15
Duration: 90 minutes
Price: 60 lei / participant
Registrations at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Within the program Mysteries of the Night, we explore the metaphors of light and darkness in the prints of the exhibition In the Dead of the Night. Works with Nocturnal Subjects from the Western Print Collection of the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (16th–18th centuries), through three workshops with representative themes about:
- Riddles with witches on: 08 November 2025; 22 November 2025, 11:00
We learn about the props, space and stories of witches, starting from riddles inspired by the subjects of the exhibition, by myths and favorite books about magic.
In October and November for preschoolers over 5 years old and primary school students. In the workshop: drawing exercises in gray and black with cats, owls, hats, brooms. We learn about the tones of graphite pencils.
The workshop will take place in the temporary exhibition In the Dead of the Night. Works with Nocturnal Subjects from the Western Print Collection of the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (16th–18th centuries) and in the workshop space of the MNAR Education Department.
Price: 60 lei / participant
Minimum and maximum number of participants: 5–15
Registrations at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Mysteries of the Night in Art and Poetry on: 06 December 2025, January 2026;
Mysteries of the Night in Art and Poetry. Guided by the verses of Mihai Eminescu, we explore the poetry and art of the nocturnal moonlit world through an interactive guided tour. The second part, optional, 30 minutes, is a creative writing workshop starting from the symbol of the moon. In December and January, for middle school and high school students; second part, optional—composing verses on a given theme.
The workshop will take place in the temporary exhibition In the Dead of the Night. Works with Nocturnal Subjects from the Western Print Collection of the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (16th–18th centuries) and in the workshop space of the NMAR Education Department.
Price: 60 lei / participant
Minimum and maximum number of participants: 5–15
Registrations at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- The Messenger Dove: in February and March 2026.
The Messenger Dove. We discover important myths of humanity about sacred messenger birds. We decipher the symbols of the Annunciation in art and tell stories about birds.
In February and March, for preschoolers over 5 years old and schoolchildren. We do drawing exercises with doves, clouds, and messages. We learn graphic techniques related to the color white.
The workshop will take place in the temporary exhibition In the Dead of the Night. Works with Nocturnal Subjects from the Western Print Collection of the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (16th–18th centuries) and in the workshop space of the NMAR Education Department.
Price: 60 lei / participant
Minimum and maximum number of participants: 5–15
Registrations at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thursday, February 5, 2026, 16:30
Lecture given by the exhibition curator, Patricia Bădulescu, curator in the Graphic Arts Department, on the topic Rembrandt: modernity and nocturnal imagination
