Rembrandt: The Painter of Light
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, a Dutch draughtsman, painter, and printmaker was born on 15 July 1606. He is regarded as one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art, as well as the most significant in the history of Dutch art. From portraits and self-portraits to landscapes, genre scenes, allegorical and historical scenes, biblical and mythological themes, and animal studies, Rembrandt's works cover a broad variety of style and subject matter. His contributions to art occurred during the Dutch Golden Age, a time of great prosperity and cultural achievement during which Dutch art, while being in many aspects contradictory to the dominant Baroque style in Europe, was extremely prolific and creative, producing significant new genres. Rembrandt was also a collector and dealer in paintings.
LIFE:
He opened a studio in Leiden in 1624 or 1625, which he shared with friend and colleague Jan Lievens. In 1627, Rembrandt began to accept students, among them Gerrit Dou in 1628. Rembrandt was discovered by a statesman in 1629, who procured for him important commissions from the Hague court. Prince Frederik Hendrik continued to buy paintings from Rembrandt as a result of this relation until 1646. Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam at the end of 1631 and started working as a professional portraitist for the first time, with great success. He first lived with Hendrick van Uylenburgh, who was an art dealer, and married Saskia van Uylenburgh, Hendrick's cousin, in 1634. Saskia died in 1642, a year after their fourth child, Titus, was born. Rembrandt died on October 4, 1669, in Amsterdam as a poor man after selling his collection. After twenty years, his remains were taken away and destroyed, as was customary with the remains of poor people at the time.
HIS WORKS:
1. The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholas Tulp:
Seven awkwardly posed men with bright white, ruffled collars are intently watching a man called Dr. Tulp who is facilitating an anatomy lesson in this pyramid-shaped composition. He has full control of the right side of the canvas, as shown by his demonstration on a male cadaver. The pieces are surprisingly well-coordinated, with the dead man's angle and scale drawing the viewer's gaze to the middle. The carefully rendered and illuminated faces of Rembrandt look at the corpse or gaze out at the viewer in this painting to create their sense of significance and inclusion. The scene is well-staged and dramatic, with the eminent physician donning his hat to signal his position to the rapt audience. The prone body, faces, and Dr. Tulp's hands are the brightest places.
2. Man in Oriental Costume:
The Dutch conception of a Near Eastern Potentate is depicted in this ambitious painting, an exotic foreign subject that would appeal to an experienced, knowledgeable collector. A swathed and stately colossal figure peers sternly out from the front and back, his shoulders and head dramatically illuminated. Under a metallic scarf and silver turban, his golden robe gleams, while ornaments and jewels adorn his body. Rembrandt's mastery as a painter of light, as well as figures, is shown in this painting, which explains his use of a limited, muted palette to create infinite depth. With uneven golden illumination and highlights brushed in with bold, dashing strokes, he produced deep shadows that vanished into obscurity.
3. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee:
The dramatic miracle of Jesus intervening to ease a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee is depicted in this painting, Rembrandt's only seascape. The Dutch citizens of Rembrandt's time will be familiar with the biblical tale from the New Testament. The darkly churning, frothy waves that threaten to overturn the tiny wind-whipped boat show Rubens' effect. The boat's mast forms a diagonal line in the composition, dividing it into two triangles. Extreme danger and intense action loom in the left triangle, but there is a golden light highlighting the edges of the dark clouds, the agitated men, and the torn mainsail. A red figure is draped over the side of the boat in the right triangle, and the helmsman is steadying the rudder against the bucking waves. Only one figure, dressed in blue, and holding onto his cap looks directly out at the viewer by steadying himself with a rope; he has Rembrandt's features.
4. Self-Portrait with Two Circles:
Despite the fact that Rembrandt painted more than 40 self-portraits, he did not always pose himself as casually as he did here. He is not acting out a role in an elaborate costume or posing artificially. He wears a red robe with a fur-lined robe over it and a white beret. He holds his wooden palette, brushes, and a long maulstick used as a rest to steady his hands while painting. The smooth, pale background with circular designs was unusual for Rembrandt, and its significance has been debated for centuries. A perfect circle is thought to represent artistic talent, according to the most common interpretation, which has historical precedent. The pope once summoned the early Italian Renaissance artist Giotto to show his mastery, so he drew a complete circle in one move.
Rembrandt Lighting:
In studio portrait photography and film making, it's a traditional lighting technique. It is popular because it can produce images that are both natural and convincing with very little equipment. It's possible to do it with one light and a reflector, or two lights. Rembrandt lighting is distinguished by an illuminated triangle under the subject's eye on the less illuminated side of the subject's face.
If you like this blog, you may also like our precious blog about Vincent Van Gogh. Tell us in the comments below, which painting from Rembrandt you like most?