The municipal arsenal of Delft arsenal exploded on October 12, 1654, ruining a large part of the town. The 32-year-old Carel Fabritius was among those who lost their lives in this disaster. At the time, he was already famous and considered to be one of the best artists. With his phenomenal deft handling of the brush, he was Rembrandt’s most gifted pupil and his subtle rendering of illumination influenced the young Vermeer. The enormous explosion destroyed his studio, thus only a small number of his paintings have been preserved. Its exceptional quality marks Fabritius as one of the true 'geniuses' of 17th-century Dutch painting.

We now know about 15 paintings by Fabritius, which will all be brought together for the first time. The Staatliche Museum Schwerin and the Mauritshuis Den Haag will be mounting the first survey exhibition ever of the work of Carel Fabritius (1622-1654).