Globe art critic Peter Grant happily pics up a magnifying glass to look more closely at Lady Lever's stunning new Rembrandt in Print exhibition.

I am still savouring the memory of seeing the unforgettable Leonardo Da Vinci's drawings at the Tate Liverpool.

Now at the Lady Lever Gallery the Rembrandt in Print displays 50 of the Dutch Master's remarkable work.

I can understand why he was regarded as The Magician.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to visit Rembrandt's house in Amsterdam and soak up the atmosphere.

I had a sense of deja vu walking around the Lady Lever for this exhibition which marks 350 years since the Dutch 'storyteller' died.

It is a welcoming piece of forward thinking to offer magnifying glasses in a basket.

Not exactly a 3D movie- styled experience or the intimate use of headphones to walk around but more of a simple, natural aid to enjoy the artist's etching intricacies close up.

The scope of subjects include a diverse range of his work in print and drypoints.

The display captures Rembrandt at the pinnacle of his printmaking.

Landscapes, nude studies and religious themes reflect his all encompassing genius.

There is the earliest known self-portrait

that captures a young Rembrandt Harmenzoon van Rijn with his intimidating, penetrating stare.

The word 'enigmatic' comes to mind.

There are also three other striking self-portraits that capture the painter, artist and draughtsman in stages of his own personal development.

The display is on loan from the world famous Oxford's Ashmolean (which houses 200 Rembrandt works) and this collection is seen together for the first time.

It is a massive creative coup for the Lady Lever in Wirral's Borough of Culture Year.

Curator of Art Galleries. National Museums Liverpool, Xanthe Brooke, is thrilled with this real 'first.'

She said at the launch: "Visitors to Rembrandt in Print will be able to see his intense self-portraits, biblical stories and his confronting of nude studies."

Ann van Camp, curator of the Ashmolean, said of the exclusive collection: "The best-of-the-best print works have been hand picked to show his ability as a printer.

"They are characterised by his talent for storytelling and keen observational skills."

Timeless, perfect prints - five stars

Rembrandt in Print is open to the public from tomorrow (Saturday, June 1) to September 15 at Lady Lever Art Gallery.

Details from

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/rembrandt

The exhibition is free but voluntary donations to further the exhibitions at Lady Lever in Port Sunlight are welcome.