Rembrandt's First Paintings, Marcus du Sautoy, Half-Term Family Fun & Islamic Art at the Ashmolean Museum

Plan Your Visit | Support Us Eating & Drinking | Shop | Venue Hire   Sensation Rembrandt's First Paintings This new free display of Rembrandt's four earliest paintings reunites them for the first time in public after one was rediscovered in 2015. Hearing, Touch, Smell and Sight are the four surviving panels from Rembrandt's Five Senses series, created around 1624–5 when the artist was just 18. The free display is open until 27 November.   Power and Protection Islamic Art and the Supernatural Showcasing over a hundred spectacular objects from Morocco to China, this is the first major exhibition to explore the supernatural in the art of the Islamic world. The exhibition opens on 20 October. Book online today. This is an unmissable chance to see objects of stunning beauty and craftmanship many of which have never before been seen in public.       Liu Dan Free Display from 20 October Liu Dan is one of China's leading artists, at the forefront of the generation of painters who have been working in radically new ways in the traditional medium of ink.   One Portrait: Many Views Watch our new video Following our 2012 campaign to save Manet's Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus for the public, a whole programme of outreach events and activity was programmed that would otherwise not have been possible without Heritage Lottery Fund support. Half-Term Family Fun Big Draw Diwali, 26–27 October Join us for a celebration of Diwali and the Big Draw at half-term. Create Rangoli patterns, make a clay Diwali lamp, sketch in the India galleries, and listen to Diwali stories. Free, and all ages welcome.   Professor Marcus du Sautoy Exhibition Talk: Symmetry, 29 November The tiles of the Islamic world push the ideas of symmetry to their extremes. Professor du Sautoy offers a new way to read the walls of the palaces and mosques of the Islamic world. Booking is essential.   What's On October 2016 Join us this month to try silverpoint, explore faith and superstition, and much more.       FrightFriday Book Now Explore ghosts and ghouls after dark with music, talks, performance and more.   Rembrandt's Senses Special Talk, Saturday 29 October Professor Christopher Brown looks at Rembrandt's earliest paintings. Painted when the artist was just 18, they depict Sight, Touch, Hearing and Smell. The fifth – Taste – remains undiscovered to this day.   Clay Live Shozo Michikawa & Kate Malone Shozo Michikawa talks about his life as a potter and demonstrates his techniques, and Kate Malone, judge on BBC Two's The Great Pottery Throwdown, discusses the pleasures of a life devoted to ceramics. Christmas Cards Buy Online and at the Museum Visit our shop, online and at the Museum, to find a range of Christmas cards, decorations and gifts inspired by the Ashmolean Museum's collections, as well as books, prints, games, jewellery and more.   Wedding Venue Open Day Sunday 16 October Discover more about hosting your wedding at the Ashmolean. Our experienced team will be on hand to answer your questions and to show you the Museum's countless backdrops. Final Weeks All Must Have Prizes 1750–1850 This free display of medals and prizes from the mid-eighteenth century tells us about the ideals of personal and professional improvement through competition during the time in which they were made.   Last Chance To See Monkey Tales, until 30 October To celebrate the Year of the Monkey in 2016 this special free display showcases papercuts, woodblock prints and lithographs of adventurous and mischievous monkeys from Iran to Japan. At Dulwich Picture Gallery Adriaen van de Velde, until 15 January Dulwich Picture Gallery presents the world's first major exhibition devoted to one of the finest landscape artists of the Dutch Golden Age, Adriaen van de Velde (1636–1672). Opens 12 October.   At The Ultimate Picture Palace The First Monday In May This documentary follows the creation of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's most attended fashion exhibition in history, "China: Through The Looking Glass". Showing on Sunday 13 & Thursday 17 November.

Summer at the Ashmolean

Plan Your Visit | Support Us Eating & Drinking | Shop | Venue Hire Free Festival Events Festival of Archaeology 16–31 July Join us for two weeks of free events celebrating the fascinating world of archaeology. Listen to talks about our collections, hear Tudor music and tales in the galleries, meet divers from the Oxford University Underwater Exploration Group, discover a radical new interpretation of the story of Noah's Ark, and much more at this year's festival.   Storms, War & Shipwrecks Treasures from the Sicilian Seas For 2500 years, Sicily was the place where the great powers of the ancient and medieval eras met and fought. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans battled for control, with many of their ships sinking off the island's rocky shores. Discover the extraordinary story of the island at the crossroads of the Mediterranean through spectacular finds rescued from the sea by underwater archaeologists.     Exhibition Shop Visit Online & at the Museum Visit our new Exhibition Shop to see our new range of gifts, jewellery, biscuits, books, bags, prints, toys, games and much more, all inspired by Sicily and our summer exhibition.   Special Event Sat 16 Jul Storms, War & Shipwrecks Day Join us for a packed day of talks, family activites, and a chance to find out more about underwater archaeology, historical accuracy in computer games, and mysterious sunken cities.   Rooftop Restaurant Summer Dining Book a table in the sun & enjoy our Sicilian-inspired menu this summer.       What's On July 2016 Join us this month to discover Nimrud, explore the Indus Valley and much more.   Family Fun Summer Holiday Treasures Join us every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon over the summer holidays to explore our treasure trove of star objects and craft some treasures of your own. All activities are free.   Family-Friendly Exhibition Trails & Free Entry for Under 12s Pick up a free Storms, War & Shipwrecks family trail and follow our friendly shipworm around the exhibition. You'll also enjoy plenty of interactives in each gallery. Entry is free for under-12s. Pop-Up Rooftop Cinema Book Your Tickets Now We have partnered with the Phoenix Picturehouse to bring you 3 film screenings in our rooftop restaurant this August. Why not book a table in the Dining Room before the screening begins?   Unforgettable Events Weddings & Private Hire From neo-classical to contemporary, the intimate to the awe-inspiring, the Ashmolean is the perfect event venue to leave you with unique and lasting memories of your celebration. At the British Museum The BP exhibition Sunken cities: Egypt's lost worlds Submerged under the sea for over a thousand years, two lost cities of ancient Egypt were recently rediscovered. Discover their incredible story in this blockbuster exhibition. Open until 27 November 2016.   At Modern Art Oxford Modern Art Oxford Need Your Help! Support Modern Art Oxford's landmark publication! 50 artists create unique pages in this never-before-seen collection. Claim a fantastic reward and help Modern Art Oxford today. In collaboration with the Art Fund.