Kenwood House in Hampstead will host a special display to commemorate 350 years since Rembrandt’s death on 4 October 1669, English Heritage has announced. Rembrandt #nofilter will celebrate the artist’s Self-portrait with Two Circles, a painting widely acknowledged as one of Rembrandt’s defining images and regarded by some as one of the world's greatest works of art.

Rembrandt #nofilter will see Self-Portrait with Two Circles taken from its usual context in Kenwood’s former Dining Room - which it shares with fellow Old Masters from Van Dyck and Vermeer to Romney and Reynolds – and re-presented in the Dining Room Lobby. With all other artworks removed from the space, the self-portrait will be displayed in relative isolation, alongside a new digital photomosaic of its own likeness.

Rembrandt reinvented the genre of self-portraiture and he was incredibly prolific in this regard, making around 80 during his career. This new digital artwork will be comprised of ‘selfies’ taken by visitors to Kenwood, pitting Rembrandt’s timeless self-portrait against the ephemeral images of the ‘selfie age’ and positioning it as an exemplar of how old masters can still communicate in a powerful way with contemporary audiences.

Wendy Monkhouse, Senior Curator at English Heritage, said: “More than 350 years after it was painted, Self-Portrait with Two Circles still feels extraordinarily modern. The ideas of self-image and self-examination that it embodies are more relevant than ever in the context of the so-called ‘selfie’ age.

“Whether they are selfie aficionado or novice, young or old, we want people to experience the portrait through the process of capturing their own image honestly, as Rembrandt captured his.”

Helen Payne, Friends of Kenwood, said: “After the hugely successful display of the Rembrandt self-portrait at Gagosian in the spring, where it took the limelight and introduced the power of this finest of Rembrandt’s self-portraits to a new audience, we are excited that the painting will now have its own special focus through this free exhibition.

“The Friends of Kenwood are pleased to be able to assist English Heritage in showing how one of the world's greatest old masters can engage in a contemporary way. This is a wonderful and imaginative way to illustrate how lucky we are to have such an outstanding art collection in north London.”

The display is generously supported by the Friends of Kenwood

Art Lighting partner: TM Lighting

Rembrandt #nofilter will run from 4 October 2019 to 12 January 2020