The Next Rembrandt

Can technology and data bring back to life one of history’s greatest painters?

Office: Netherlands

Client: ING

Challenge

Dutch multinational banking group ING, an innovative bank and long-time supporter of Dutch arts and culture, wanted to stand out from its competitors. Their challenge to us: How could they highlight their innovative spirit through this sponsorship program?

Inspiration

The Dutch painter Rembrandt, known as the master of light and shadow, is one of the greatest painters of all time. What if we could bring him back, 347 years after his death, for one last portrait – but this time, data is the painter and technology the brush?

Idea

The Next Rembrandt, a 3D printed painting made from the data of Rembrandt’s total body of work, utilized deep learning algorithms and facial recognition techniques. It was unveiled in front of a packed auditorium in Amsterdam, with experts, the press, and the public invited to join the conversation about where data and technology can take us.

Growth

The Next Rembrandt got the world buzzing, with leading news channels and blogs reporting on the boundaries blurring between technology and humanity. It earned over 10 million Twitter impressions on launch day and has been featured in over 1,400 articles.

The technology developed for this project is now used for the restoration of damaged and partially lost masterpieces.

For the full story, go to nextrembrandt.com.