Rembrandt Forever: Get a Rembrandt Tattoo by Henk Schiffmacher and His Team in Rembrandthuis, Amsterdam

Henk Schiffmacher: ‘Worldwide, more tattoos are sold than works of art to hang on your wall. An old tattoo artist once called tattoos ‘The Poor Man’s Rembrandt’: a work of art that is more affordable than a painting by one of the old masters, but no less carefully executed and selected. Many people also build up a real collection of tattoos from specific tattoo artists. They come to us because they want to add Schiffmacher & Veldhoen to their life-long collection. For us, it is an incredible honor to work in the place where Rembrandt’s soul can still be felt, and to work with his etchings and drawings. Grand and small art coming together.’

Rembrandt and Schiffmacher & Veldhoen have much in common: they are world-famous, masters of their craft and deeply rooted in the DNA of Amsterdam. Their art also has important similarities: with both etchings and tattoos, it all starts with a drawing, which is then applied to the surface with ink and needle. Where Rembrandt used a copper plate and sheet of paper to turn his composition into an etching, tattoo artists apply their drawing to human skin; the end result is a work of art that you carry with you for life.

Schiffmacher and his team will set up their studio in the modern museum wing of Museum Rembrandthuis. In the seventeenth century, the building on the Jodenbreestraat was a cultural hub, where Rembrandt, his assistants and his pupils worked together on their artworks. Now, a new generation of twenty-first-century artists set up their studio here. The museum thus remains a place buzzing with innovation and experiment. At the same time, the centuries-old art of etching and ink drawing are kept alive.

How to Sign Up?

During their residency at Museum Rembrandthuis, the Schiffmacher & Veldhoen Tattooing team will offer a number of tattoo designs, including original etchings by Rembrandt, Rembrandt’s signature and his monogram. On our web page rembrandthuis.nl/thepoormansrembrandtproject, you can view the available tattoos in advance. The prices of the tattoos range from 100 to 250 euros. A deposit of 50 euros is requested at the time of booking.

You can reserve a time slot to have your tattoo done at the museum on this page. We keep a number of spots available each day for spontaneous walk-ins, but if you want to be sure of a spot, we do advise you to reserve a time slot in advance.

Prior to your visit, please make yourself acquainted with the terms and conditions here and fill out this form. Only visitors with a filled-out form will be able to get their tattoo done.