VISITORS have just under a month left to see Rembrandt’s ‘Self portrait wearing a Feathered Bonnet’ at Kingston Lacy before the celebrated work departs next month.

The exhibition, running until March 22, has attracted thousands since opening in Dorset as the first stop on the National Trust’s mindful art initiative, which invites visitors to pause, reflect and connect emotionally with the masterpiece.

With its final weeks underway as part of a nationwide slow looking tour, organisers are urging people not to miss the rare chance to spend unhurried time with the painting.

Displayed with dedicated seating and audio guides, the exhibition encourages visitors to linger – a contrast to the eight seconds the average person spends viewing an artwork.

(Picture: National Trust)

“It made me look at the painting differently,” commented one visitor, “and brought out detail I wouldn’t have noticed.”

Curators say that reaction captures the essence of the tour.

National Trust curator Amy Orrock explains, “Slow looking is about more than just taking your time, it’s a way of being present, of noticing the details and the emotions they generate that might otherwise pass us by.

“You’re not just seeing – you’re feeling, thinking, connecting.”

The painting’s history is as remarkable as its impact.

Long believed to be the work of a follower, it was reattributed in 2013 to Rembrandt himself following detailed conservation and scientific analysis.

Visitors can explore that process further at a special event, Rembrandt and the Science of Art, on March 10.

(Picture: Steve Haywood)

The National Trust’s national conservator for visual arts, Rebecca Hellen, will explain how technical investigation helped confirm the painting’s authorship and how similar work sheds light on other treasures in the trust’s care.

Booking is essential.