Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is a world famous painter and printmaker. Rembrandt's biography is very interesting, so it is not surprising that a huge number of art studies and scientific monographs are devoted to the study of his life and work.
early years
The artist Rembrandt, whose biography is considered in this article, was born into the family of the miller Harmen Gerrits in 1606. His mother's name was Neltje Willemsdochter van Rijn.
Due to the fact that things were going well with my father at that time, the future painter received a fairly good education. He was assigned to a Latin school, but the young man did not like studying there, so his success left much to be desired. As a result, the father yielded to his son's requests and allowed him to go to study at the art workshop of Jacob van Svanenbürch.
The biography of Rembrandt is interesting in that his first mentor did not have a strong influence on the artistic style of the painter. The greatest influence on the aspiring artist was made by his second teacher, to whom he switched after three years of work at Svanenbürch. It was Peter Lastman, whom Rembrandt decided to follow when he moved to live in Amsterdam.
Creativity and biography of the artist
A short biography of Rembrandt van Rijn does not allow for a detailed presentation of his entire career and life, but the main points are still quite possible to make out.
In 1623, the artist returned home to the city of Leiden, where by 1628 he had acquired his own students. Information about his earliest known works dates back to 1627.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn steadily and diligently walked towards his creative success - the biography of the talented painter indicates that in the early stages of his work he worked tirelessly.
At that time, he painted mainly his family and friends, as well as scenes from the life of his hometown. The Kassel gallery contains a portrait of a man with a double gold chain around his neck, dating back to this period in the life of the artist known throughout the world as Rembrandt. Even then, the biography and work of this painter began to attract attention.
Moving to Amsterdam
In 1631, the young man moved to live in the capital - the city of Amsterdam. From now on, he appears extremely rarely in his native lands. Biography of Rembrandt at this stage of his life and work is replete with evidence that he quickly gained fame and creative success in the wealthy circles of Amsterdam.
This is a very fruitful stage in the life of an artist. Rembrandt, whose brief biography is set out in our article, worked very hard, fulfilling many orders and at the same time not forgetting to constantly improve. The artist drew from life and engraved interesting characters that he came across in the Jewish quarter of the city.
Then such famous paintings as "Anatomy Lesson" (1632), "Portrait of Coppenol" (1631) and many others were painted.
Creative and financial success
In 1634, Rembrandt marries Saskia van Uhlenborch, the daughter of a successful lawyer. In many ways, this marked the most successful period in the life and work of the artist. He has enough money and many orders, which he willingly fulfills.
The biography of Rembrandt of that period indicates that he was very fond of painting his wife, and not only in portraits, but also often her image can be seen in other paintings of the painter.
The most famous paintings depicting the artist's young wife are:
- "Portrait of Rembrandt's Bride";
- "Portrait of Saskia";
- "Rembrandt with his wife".
Rembrandt: a brief biography after the death of his first wife
The young man's happy marriage did not last very long. After seven years of marriage, Saskia died suddenly in 1642. And from that moment on, the artist's whole life begins to change for the worse.
Despite the fact that Rembrandt married a second time, he no longer had the same happiness as in his first marriage. His former maid, Gendrikie Jagers, became his life partner.
During that life period, the artist experienced severe material difficulties, and not because of a lack of work and orders, but because of his own addiction to collecting works of art, on which he spent most of his income.
His passion for collecting led to the fact that in 1656 he was declared a debtor who was unable to pay off his debts, and in 1658 he had to give up his own house in order to pay debts. From that moment on, the artist lived in a hotel.
Worsening situation
The Hendrikies and Rembrandt's son Titus founded a trading company for the sale of works of art. However, things were still not going very well, and after the death of Gendrikie in 1661, the situation became even worse. Seven years later, the son who ran the business of the company also passed away.
The financial situation of the great artist becomes simply terrible, but poverty has not killed his desire to create. He continues to persistently paint pictures, which, however, no longer enjoy the same success among his contemporaries as before, because the tastes of the public have changed over the years.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn died in October 1669, completely alone and in extreme poverty.
Rembrandt: biography, paintings
Unlike the contemporaries of the great painter, the next generations highly appreciated not only the early work of the artist, but also the later works and canvases of Rembrandt. Today, the master is the personification of Dutch painting and one of its most prominent representatives.
The main leitmotif of all his work can be called realism, which permeates all of the author's works. Even depicting mythological plots, Rembrandt demonstrates the ancient Greek gods and goddesses in the guise of the inhabitants of Holland today. A striking example of this can be called the painting "Danae", which is kept in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
Some mythological paintings generally have a half-caricature image of gods and goddesses. This can be traced in the work "The Abduction of Ganymede" (second name "Ganymede in the claws of an eagle"), kept in the Dresden Museum. Here the proportions of Ganymede's body do not correspond to reality, which speaks not of the low level of skill of the artist of the picture, but of his purposeful caricatured approach to depicting the character on the canvas, since in many paintings Rembrandt easily performs even complex elements depicting parts of human physiology and anatomy.
The artist's portraits are generally distinguished by unprecedented realism and believability for his time, which speaks of the incredible talent of the master and the ability to transfer what he saw in life to the canvas, as well as his rather deep knowledge of human anatomy and physiology.
The artist treats various little things and small accessories very carefully and precisely for this kind of work. This can be clearly seen in the pictures:
- Calligrapher (State Hermitage);
- Anatomy Lesson (Mauritshuis);
- "Guild of Weavers" (Amsterdam Museum).
Creative style
For the works of Rembrandt, it is characteristic that all important elements of the picture are always brought to the fore by the artist, regardless of compositional features. The artist does not always strive to show whether the people or objects depicted are correct from the point of view of reality. He is characterized by deliberate exaggeration.
The main feature that has gone through all of his works is the lack of bright colors and brilliance. Moreover, this can be seen from the earliest works of the artist. And this greatly distinguishes them from the paintings of Italian masters or, for example, from the work of the Flemish painter Rubens.
Rembrandt made the greatest emphasis on the play of colors with light and shadow. In this, his skill is recognized and unsurpassed to this day. Sometimes the light and shadow play of colors on the artist's canvases is so strong that art experts are still arguing about what time of day is depicted in the picture.
One of the brightest examples of Rembrandt's paintings with such a magnificent palette is perhaps his most famous painting "Night Watch", the debate about which continues today.
"The night Watch"
This picture bears the official name "Speech by the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Kock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruutenbürg", but all over the world it is usually called simply "Night Watch".
However, due to the artist's love for the light-shadow play of colors described above, disputes about what time of day is depicted in the picture, day or night, are still ongoing and there is no definite answer.
This canvas is a symbol and the most striking work of not only Rembrandt himself, but of the entire Dutch school of painting. It is considered the property of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and world art in general.
Millions of tourists from all over the world come to Amsterdam every year to visit the Rijksmuseum and admire the famous painting. Everyone sees in it something of their own, everyone has their own impression and opinion about this canvas. But the fact always remains unchanged that this magnificent work of the famous creator leaves absolutely no one indifferent.
Conclusion
Today, the painter and printmaker Rembrandt, whose brief biography and work have been described in this article, is the pride of not only his native country. He is known all over the world, and his paintings are admired by connoisseurs of art and painting all over the planet. The artist's paintings are eagerly bought for fabulous money at auctions where paintings and works of art are sold, and the name of Rembrandt is heard by anyone who has even the slightest idea of art.
It is difficult to overestimate the creative contribution of this great artist to the painting and culture of his country and the whole world. It is not for nothing that today the Dutch school of painting is primarily associated with the name of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn.
And his work, presented in the article, will introduce you to one of the greatest artists of all time. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (years of his life - 1606-1669) - famous Dutch painter, etcher and draftsman. His work is permeated with the desire to comprehend the essence of life, as well as the inner world of man. Rembrandt was interested in the richness of emotional experiences inherent in people. The work of this artist is the pinnacle of 17th century Dutch art. It is also considered one of the most important pages of the artistic culture of the whole world. Even people far from painting know his works. Rembrandt is an amazing artist whose life and work will surely interest you.
Rembrandt's artistic legacy
The artistic heritage that he left to us is extremely diverse. Rembrandt painted portraits, landscapes, still lifes, genre scenes. He created paintings on mythological, biblical, historical themes, as well as other works. Rembrandt is an unsurpassed master of etching and drawing.
Life in Leiden
Rembrandt's life in 1620 was marked by a short study in Then he decided to devote his life entirely to art. To this end, he studied first in Leiden under J. van Swanenbürch (approximately in 1620-23), and then in Amsterdam under P. Lastmann (in 1623). Between 1625 and 1631, the artist worked in Leiden. Here Rembrandt created his first works.
It should be noted that his works related to the Leiden period are characterized by the search for creative independence of the author, despite the fact that the influence of Lastman, as well as representatives of the Dutch caravaggism, is noticeable in them. An example is the work "Bringing to the Temple", created around 1628-29. In "The Apostle Paul" (about 1629-30), as well as in "Simeon in the Temple" (1631), the artist first resorted to chiaroscuro as a means designed to enhance the emotional expressiveness and spirituality of images. At the same time, Rembrandt worked hard on the portrait. He studied facial expressions.
1630 years in the life of Rembrandt
An important event in the life of the master took place in 1632. Moving to Amsterdam marked the biography of the artist Rembrandt. His biography dating back to this time is as follows.
In Amsterdam, the artist we are interested in soon got married. His chosen one was Saskia van Eilenburch, a wealthy patrician woman (her portrait is presented above). This woman was a total orphan. Her father was a councilor in Friesland, a burgomaster from Leverden. Saskia's two brothers were lawyers. Among the relatives of this woman are many government officials and scientists. She brought a ray of happiness to the artist's lonely dwelling. Rembrandt furnished his house with many rare items, as a result of which he became a real museum. The master spent a lot of time in junk shops, at sales and auctions. He bought prints and paintings, Indian and Chinese carvings, old weapons, statues, precious crystal and porcelain. All these things served as a background for the paintings that he created. They inspired the artist. Rembrandt loved to dress his wife in velvet, brocade and silk. He showered her with pearls and diamonds. His life was easy and joyful, full of creativity, work and love. In general, the 1630s are a time of family happiness and great artistic success.
Portraits of the 1630s
All portraits dating back to the 1630s demonstrate Rembrandt's subtlety and observation. This brings him closer to Keisser, van der Helst, Rubens and Van Dyck. These paintings are usually made on a light gray flat background. Often his works are in oval format. Rembrandt created portraits that amaze with their enormous plastic power. It is achieved by simplifying chiaroscuro and black and white harmony, as well as direct gaze of the model. All works are full of dignity, attract attention with composition and dynamic ease. In the paintings of the Amsterdam period, in comparison with the Leyden ones, the texture is smoother. The rhythm of the hands has a symbolic meaning (the artist deliberately does not show one hand). This, as well as the turn of the head of the figure, recalls the variability and fleetingness of the Baroque.
Characteristics of some portraits of the 1630s
Describing the life and work of Rembrandt of this period, one cannot but refer to the portraits he created. They are quite numerous. Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson by Dr. Tulp (pictured above) was created in 1632. In it, the author innovatively approached the solution of the problem of the group portrait, as a result of which the composition turned out to be relaxed. Rembrandt united all the people represented in the picture with a single action. This work brought him great fame.
In other portraits, created on numerous orders, the artist carefully conveyed clothes, facial features, and jewelry. One example is the work "Portrait of a Burgrave", which was painted in 1636 by Rembrandt Garmens van Rijn. The life and work of any artist are closely related. For example, portraits of people close to Rembrandt, as well as his self-portraits, are more diverse and free in composition (one of them, created in 1634, is presented above). In them, the artist was not afraid to experiment, striving for psychological expressiveness. Here we must also mention the self-portrait, created in 1634, and "Smiling Saskia", written in 1633.
The famous painting "Merry Society", or "Self-portrait with Saskia" (photo of this work is presented above), completed the search for this period. It was written around 1635. The life and work of the artist are revealed in a special way in this work. In it, he boldly breaks with the canons that existed at that time. The picture stands out for its free manner of painting, lively spontaneity of the composition, as well as full of light, major, colorful scale.
Biblical compositions and mythological scenes 1630
In the 1630s, the artist also created biblical compositions. One of the most famous is the "Sacrifice of Abraham". It dates back to 1635. Biblical compositions of this time are marked by the influence of Italian Baroque painting. Its effect is manifested in the dynamics of the composition (somewhat forced), cut-and-shadow contrasts, sharpness of foreshortenings.
In the work of Rembrandt of this time, a special place belongs to mythological scenes. In them, the artist did not follow the classical traditions and canons, throwing down a bold challenge to them. One of the works that can be noted here is "The Rape of Ganymede" (1635).
"Danae"
The monumental composition entitled "Danae" fully embodied the aesthetic views of Rembrandt. In this work, he seems to enter into an argument with the great artists of the Renaissance. The nude figure of Danae depicted by Rembrandt does not correspond to classical ideals. The artist performed this work with a realistic immediacy, very daring for that time. He contrasted the ideal, sensual-bodily beauty of images created by Italian masters, spiritual beauty, as well as the warmth of human feeling.
Other jobs
Also in the 1630s, Rembrandt devoted a lot of time to work in the technique of engraving and etching. One can note such works of his as "The Wandering Couple" and "The Seller of Rat Poison". The artist also created pencil drawings that were generalized in style and quite bold.
The work of Rembrandt in the 1640s
These years were marked by a conflict between the pioneering works of Rembrandt and the very limited demands of his contemporaries. This conflict was clearly manifested in 1642. Then the work of Rembrandt "Night Watch" caused violent protests from customers. They didn't accept the artist's main idea. Instead of the usual group portrait, Rembrandt depicted a heroically uplifted composition, in which, upon an alarm signal, the riflemen's guild steps forward. That is, it was, one might say, She awakened the memories of contemporaries about the liberation war waged by the Dutch people.
After this work, the influx of orders from Rembrandt decreased. His life was also darkened by the death of Saskia. In the 1640s, the artist's work lost its external effect. Majority notes, characteristic of him earlier, also disappeared. Rembrandt begins to write calm genre and biblical scenes, full of intimacy and warmth. In them, he reveals the subtlest shades of experiences, feelings of kindred, spiritual closeness. Among these works it is necessary to note the "Holy Family" in 1645, as well as the painting "David and Jonathan" (1642).
Both in graphics and in Rembrandt's painting, a very subtle play of chiaroscuro is becoming increasingly important. She creates a special atmosphere - emotionally tense, dramatic. Noteworthy is Rembrandt's monumental graphic sheet "Christ Healing the Sick", as well as "A Hundred Guilder Sheet", created around 1642-46. Also it is necessary to name the landscape of 1643 "Three Trees", full of light and air dynamics.
1650 years in the work of Rembrandt
This time was marked by difficult life trials that befell the artist. It was in 1650 that the period of his creative maturity began. Rembrandt began to increasingly refer to the portrait. He portrays the people closest to him. Among these works, it is worth noting the numerous portraits of Hendrickje Stoffels, the artist's second wife. Also very noteworthy is the "Portrait of an Old Woman" created in 1654. In 1657, the artist wrote another famous work of his - "The Son of Titus Reading".
Images of ordinary people and old people
Images of ordinary people, especially old people, are increasingly attracting the artist. In his works, they are the embodiment of spiritual wealth and life wisdom. In 1654, Rembrandt created "Portrait of the Artist's Brother's Wife", and in 1652-1654 - "Portrait of an Old Man in Red" (pictured above). The painter becomes interested in the hands and face, which are illuminated by soft light. They seem to be snatched out of the darkness. The faces of the figures are characterized by barely noticeable facial expressions. This shows the intricate movement of their feelings and thoughts. Rembrandt alternates between light and pasty strokes, which makes the surface of the painting iridescent with light and shade and colorful shades.
Difficult financial situation
In 1656, the artist was declared an insolvent debtor, as a result of which all his property went under the hammer. Rembrandt was forced to move to the Jewish quarter of the city of Amsterdam. Here he spent the rest of his life in extremely cramped conditions.
The work of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn 1660
Biblical compositions created in the 1660s summarize Rembrandt's reflections on the meaning of life. In his work of this time, there are paintings dedicated to the clash of light and dark principles in the human soul. A number of works on this topic were created by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, whose biography and list of paintings are of interest to us. Among such works it is necessary to note the work "Assur, Haman and Esther", created in 1660; and also David and Uriah, or The Fall of Haman (1665). They are characterized by a flexible manner of writing, warm rich colors, complex surface texture, intense play of light and shadow. All this is necessary for the artist to reveal complex emotional experiences and collisions, to affirm the victory of good over evil.
The historical painting by Rembrandt called "The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis", also known as "The Batavian Conspiracy", was created in 1661. She is imbued with heroism and harsh drama.
"The Return of the Prodigal Son"
In the last year of his life, the artist created the work "The Return of the Prodigal Son". It dates from 1668-69. This monumental painting is Rembrandt's main masterpiece. It embodies all the moral, aesthetic and artistic problems characteristic of the later period of his work. The artist with the highest skill recreates in this picture a whole range of deep and complex human feelings. He subordinates artistic means to the disclosure of the beauty of forgiveness, compassion, understanding. The culmination of the transition from the tension of feelings to the successful resolution of passions is embodied in stingy gestures and expressive poses. In the photo above, you can see this latest piece by Rembrandt.
Death of Rembrandt, the meaning of his work
The famous Dutch painter, etcher and draftsman died in Amsterdam on October 4, 1669. Harmenszoon van Rijn Rembrandt, whose works are known and loved by many, had a tremendous influence on the further development of painting. This is noticeable not only in the work of his students, of whom Karel Fabricius came to the understanding of Rembrandt the closest, but also in the works of every Dutch artist, more or less significant. The paintings of many masters reflect the influence of an artist like Rembrandt van Rijn. The work "Swamp" by Jacob van Ruisdael is probably one of such works. It depicts a desert part of the forest covered with water. This picture carries a symbolic meaning.
Later, the great Rembrandt had a strong influence on the development of realistic art as a whole. His paintings and biography are of interest to many people to this day. This suggests that his work is really very valuable. Rembrandt's masterpieces, many of which have been described in this article, still inspire artists today.
Rembrandt harmenszoon van rijn
The largest representative of the golden age, artist, engraver, great master of chiaroscuro - and all this in one name Rembrandt.
Rembrandt was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden. This great Dutch artist was able to embody in his works the entire spectrum of human experiences with such an emotional intensity that the visual arts did not know before him.
Life
He grew up in the large family of a wealthy mill owner, Harmen Gerritzon van Rijn. Among other things, there were two more houses in the estate of the Rhine baths, and he also received a significant dowry from his wife Cornelia Neltier. The mother of the future artist was the daughter of a baker and was versed in cooking. The mother's family, even after the Dutch revolution, remained faithful to the Catholic faith.
In Leiden, Rembrandt attended a Latin school at the university, but did not like the exact sciences, he showed the greatest interest in painting. Realizing this fact, at the age of 13, his parents sent Rembrandt to study fine arts with the Leiden historical painter Jacob van Swanenbürch, who was a Catholic. Rembrandt's works, diverse in genre and subject matter, are imbued with the ideas of morality, spiritual beauty and dignity of an ordinary person, an understanding of the incomprehensible complexity of his inner world, the versatility of his intellectual wealth, the depth of his emotional experiences. Very little information has come down to us about Jacob, so historians and art critics cannot say for sure about the influence of Svanenberch on the creative manner of Rembrandt.
Then in 1623 he studied in Amsterdam with the then fashionable painter Peter Lastman, after which, returning to Leiden, in 1625, together with his fellow countryman Jan Lievens, opened his own workshop.
Peter Lastman completed an internship in Italy and specialized in historical, mythological and biblical subjects. When Rembrandt opened a workshop and began to recruit apprentices, in a short time he became significantly famous. If you look at the first works of the artist, you can immediately understand that Lastman's style - a passion for variegation and pettiness of execution, had a huge impact on the young artist. For example, his work "The Stoning of St. Stephen "(1629)," A scene from ancient history "(1626) and" The baptism of the eunuch "(1626), very bright, unusually colorful, Rembrandt seeks to carefully write out every detail of the material world. Almost all the heroes appear before the viewer dressed in fancy oriental outfits, sparkle with jewels, which creates an atmosphere of majesty, splendor, festivity
In 1628, the twenty-two-year-old artist was recognized as an "eminently famous" master, a renowned portrait painter.
The painting "Judas Returns the Silversmiths" (1629) - aroused an enthusiastic response from the famous art connoisseur Konstantin Huygens, Stadtholder's secretary Frederick Hendrik of Orange: "... this body trembling with pathetic trembling is what I prefer to good taste of all times."
Thanks to the connections of Constantine, Rembrandt soon acquired rich admirers of art: due to the mediation of Hagens, the Prince of Orange ordered several religious works from the artist, such as Christ before Pilate (1636).
Real success for the artist comes in Amsterdam. June 8, 1633 Rembrandt meets the daughter of a wealthy burgher Saskia van Eilenbürch and gains a strong position in society. The artist painted most of the canvases while in the capital of the Netherlands.
Amsterdam - a bustling port and industrial city, where goods and wonders from all over the world flocked, where people got rich on trade and banking deals, where outlaws of feudal Europe rushed in search of refuge and where the well-being of wealthy burghers coexisted with depressing poverty, binds strong ties with the artist ...
The Amsterdam period of Rembrandt's work began with overwhelming success, which brought him "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulpa" (1632, The Hague, Mauritshuis), which changed the tradition of the Dutch group portrait. Rembrandt contrasted the usual demonstration of people of the general profession posing for the artist with the drama of a freely decided scene, the participants of which - members of the guild of surgeons, listening to their colleague, are united intellectually and spiritually by active involvement in the process of scientific research.
Rembrandt is inspired by the beauty of his beloved, so he often paints her portraits. Three days after the wedding, van Rijn painted a woman in a silver pencil wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Saskia appeared in the paintings of the Dutchman in a cozy home environment. The image of this plump woman appears on many canvases, for example, the mysterious girl in the painting "Night Watch" strongly resembles the artist's beloved.
The thirties in the life of Rembrandt were a period of fame, wealth and family happiness. He received many orders, was surrounded by students, was passionate about collecting works of Italian, Flemish and Dutch painters, antique sculpture, minerals, sea plants, ancient weapons, objects of oriental art; when working on paintings, the exhibits of the collection often served the artist as a prop.
Rembrandt's works of this period are extremely varied; they testify to the tireless, sometimes painful search for artistic comprehension of the spiritual and social essence of man and nature, and demonstrate tendencies that relentlessly, step by step, bring the artist into conflict with society.
In portraits “for himself” and self-portraits, the artist freely experiments with composition and effects of chiaroscuro, changes the tonality of colors, dresses his models in fantastic or exotic clothes, varies poses, gestures, accessories (“Flora”, 1634, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum ).
In 1635, the famous painting based on the biblical theme "The Sacrifice of Abraham" was painted, which was appreciated in secular society.
In 1642, van Rijn received an order from the Shooting Society for a group portrait to decorate a new building with canvas. The painting was mistakenly called "Night Watch". It was stained with soot, and only in the 17th century did researchers come to the conclusion that the action unfolding on the canvas takes place in the daytime.
Rembrandt thoroughly depicted every detail of the musketeers in motion: as if at a certain moment time stopped when the militiamen left the dark courtyard for van Rijn to capture them on canvas.
The customers did not like that the Dutch painter departed from the canons that developed in the 17th century. Then the group portraits were ceremonial, and the participants were portrayed from the front without any statics.
According to scientists, this painting was the reason for the artist's bankruptcy in 1653, as it scared off potential clients.
The tragic changes in the personal fate of Rembrandt (the death of newborn children, mother, in 1642 - the illness and death of Saskia, who left him with a nine-month-old son Titus), deterioration in his financial situation due to his stubborn unwillingness to sacrifice freedom of spirit and creativity to please the changeable tastes of burghers, exacerbated and exposed the gradually brewing conflict between the artist and society.
Information about the private life of Rembrandt in the 1640s. few have survived in the documents. Of the students of this period, only Nicholas Mas of Dordrecht is known. Apparently, the artist continued to live on a grand scale, as before. The late Saskia's family expressed concern over how he disposed of her dowry. Titus's nanny, Gertier Diercks, sued him for breaking a promise to marry; to settle this incident, the artist had to fork out.
In the late 1640s, Rembrandt became friends with his young servant, Hendrickje Stoffels, whose image appears in many portrait works of this period: (Flora (1654), Bathing Woman (1654), Hendrickje at the Window (1655)). The parish council condemned Hendrickje for "sinful cohabitation" when, in 1654, her daughter Cornelia was born with the artist. During these years, Rembrandt departed from themes that had a grandiose national or universal sound.
The artist worked for a long time on engraved portraits of the burgomaster Jan Six (1647) and other influential burghers. All the engraving techniques and techniques he knew were used to produce the elaborate etching Christ Healing the Sick, better known as the One Hundred Guilder Leaf, for such a huge price for the 17th century it was once sold. He worked on this etching, striking with the subtlety of the cut-and-paste game, for seven years, from 1643 to 1649.
In 1653, experiencing financial difficulties, the artist transferred almost all of his property to his son Titus, after which he declared bankruptcy in 1656. After the sale in 1657-58. houses and property (an interesting catalog of Rembrandt's art collection has been preserved), the artist moved to the outskirts of Amsterdam, to the Jewish quarter, where he spent the rest of his life.
The death of Titus in 1668 was one of the last blows of fate for the artist; he himself passed away a year later.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn died in October 1669. He was 63 years old. He was old, sick and poor. The notary did not have to spend a lot of time compiling an inventory of the artist's property. The inventory was brief: "three shabby sweatshirts, eight handkerchiefs, ten berets, painting supplies, one Bible."
Paintings
Return of the prodigal son
The famous painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son", one of the last works of Rembrandt. It was written in the year of his death, and became the pinnacle of the manifestation of his talent.
This is the largest painting by Rembrandt on a religious theme. Painting by Rembrandt on the plot of the New Testament parable of the prodigal son.
We find the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke. She tells about a young man who left his father's house and squandered his inheritance. In idleness, debauchery and drunkenness, he spent his days until he found himself in the barnyard, where he ate from the same trough with pigs. In a desperate situation and complete poverty, the young man returns to his father, ready to become his last slave. But instead of contempt, he finds a royal welcome, instead of anger - an all-forgiving, deep and tender fatherly love.
1669 year. Rembrandt plays a human drama in front of the viewer. The paints lie on the canvas in thick strokes. They are dark. The artist does not care about secondary characters, even if there are a lot of them. Attention is again riveted on the father and son. The old father, hunched over with grief, faces the viewer. In this face there is pain, and eyes tired of crying out tears, and the happiness of a long-awaited meeting. The son has his back turned to us. He buried himself as an infant in the royal robe of his father. We don't know what his face expresses. But cracked heels, a vagrant's bare skull, poor attire say enough. As well as the hands of the father, squeezing the shoulders of the young man. Through the peace of these hands, forgiving and supporting, Rembrandt for the last time tells the world a universal parable about wealth, passions and vices, repentance and forgiveness. “… I will get up, go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as your mercenary. He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and took pity; and running, fell on his neck and kissed him. "
In addition to the father and son, 4 more characters are depicted in the picture. These are dark silhouettes that are hardly distinguishable against a dark background, but who they are remains a mystery. Some called them "brothers and sisters" of the protagonist. It is characteristic that Rembrandt avoids conflict: the parable speaks of the jealousy of an obedient son, and the harmony of the picture is not disturbed by anything.
Van Gogh very accurately said about Rembrandt: “You have to die several times in order to paint like this ... Rembrandt penetrates into the secret so deeply that he speaks about objects for which there are no words in any language. That is why Rembrandt is called: a magician. And this is not an easy craft. "
The night Watch
The title by which the group portrait of Rembrandt is traditionally known "Speech by the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Kok and Lieutenant Willem van Ruutenbürg", written in 1642.
The Dutch master's canvas is fraught with many "surprises". Let's start with the fact that the usual name of the picture does not correspond to reality: the patrol depicted on it is actually not at all at night, but very daytime. It's just that Rembrandt's work was varnished several times, which is why it darkened a lot. In addition, for almost 100 years (from the beginning of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th century), the canvas adorned one of the halls of the Amsterdam City Hall, where it hung right in front of the fireplace, covered with soot year after year. It is not surprising that by the beginning of the 19th century the name "Night Watch" was firmly established behind the painting: by this time the history of its creation had been completely forgotten, and everyone was sure that the master had depicted precisely the dark time of the day. Only in 1947, during the restoration at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where the painting is located to this day, it turned out that its color is incomparably lighter than it was commonly believed. Moreover, the short shadows cast by the characters indicate that the affair takes place between noon and 2 pm. However, the restorers did not remove all the layers of the dark varnish, fearing to damage the paint, so even now the "Night Watch" is rather dim.
The real name of the painting is "Speech by the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Kok and Lieutenant Wilhem van Reitenburg." This is a group portrait of a musketeer militia in one of the districts of Amsterdam. From 1618 to 1648, the Thirty Years' War was going on in Europe, and the inhabitants of Dutch cities took up arms in order to defend their homes. Rembrandt's creation, along with portraits of other rifle companies, was supposed to decorate the main hall in Kloveniersdolen - the headquarters of the city riflemen. But the customers were disappointed: Rembrandt did not get a monumental ceremonial portrait, but a genre painting in which they could hardly find their own faces, often half hidden by other characters. Still would! After all, the artist, in addition to 18 customers (each of whom laid out about 100 gold guilders for his portrait - a very impressive amount at that time) squeezed 16 more people onto the canvas! Who they are is unknown.
Museum - Amsterdam History Museum?
Three crosses
One of the most famous etchings by Rembrandt, it has five states. Only the third was signed and dated; therefore, Rembrandt considered the rest intermediate. The fifth condition is very rare, only five are known.
The etching depicts the dramatic moment of Christ's death on the cross of Calvary, described in the gospels. In this etching, Rembrandt used the technique of a chisel and a dry needle on an unprecedented scale, which increased the contrast of the image.
On December 2, 2008 at Christie's auction this etching (IV state) was sold for 421,250 pounds sterling.
Descent from the cross
In 1814, Alexander I y of Empress Josephine acquired the Malmaison Gallery, which belonged to her. Some of the paintings came from the famous Kassel Gallery, including The Descent from the Cross. Previously, these canvases were the property of Madame de Roover in Delft and, together with other paintings from her collection, were bought by the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Ludwig VII. In 1806, his gallery was seized by Napoleon and donated to Josephine.
The successor to the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Ludwig VII, a former ally of Alexander I, presented a demand to the emperor in 1815 for the return of the paintings captured by Napoleon. This demand was resolutely rejected by Alexander I, who paid money for the paintings and in every possible way showed Josephine's attention to her daughter Hortense. In 1829, Hortense, who at that time held the title of Duchess of Saint-Leu, bought thirty paintings from the Malmaison Gallery.
The “Descent from the Cross” theme had a great iconographic tradition in European art. Her highest achievement was considered an altarpiece painting by Rubens in Antwerp Cathedral, widely known from Worsterman's engraving.
Rembrandt's creative thought wanders somewhere near this tradition, using it and at the same time constantly choosing other paths. Unusual for the previous development of European art, they are highly characteristic of Rembrandt's personal creative manner, and it is not for nothing that "Descent from the Cross" outwardly so strongly resembles "The Disbelief of the Apostle Thomas."
Rubens portrayed the sublime sorrow of a group of majestic and beautiful people for a majestic and beautiful hero; Rembrandt has a hectic mass night scene. Numerous figures alternately retreat into darkness, then fall into a ray of light, and it seems that the crowd moves, lives, grieving for the crucified and pitying his mother. There is nothing perfect in the appearance of people, many of them are rude, ugly. Their feelings are very strong, but these are the feelings of ordinary people, not enlightened by the sublime catharsis that is in Rubens' painting.
The dead Christ is a man like them; it is because of the power of their grief that his suffering and death take on special significance. The key to the content of the picture is, perhaps, not so much Christ as the person supporting him and pressing his cheek to him.
From an artistic point of view, the fractional, restless composition is inferior to the famous painting by Rubens, and to some of the works of Rembrandt himself, executed in the same years. For example, the less significant in its content "The Disbelief of the Apostle Thomas" seems to be outwardly more harmonious and holistic. However, in The Descent from the Cross, Rembrandt's understanding of biblical and evangelical themes is clearer.
The work of the young Rembrandt differs from its prototype in the most basic features. First of all, it was not created either formally or essentially as a prayer altar image. Its cabinet size is not addressed to the perception of the crowd, but to individual experience. This appeal to the feelings and consciousness of one person, the establishment of close emotional contact with the viewer forced the artist to create a completely new system of artistic means and techniques. Rembrandt saw the scene of the Gospel legend as a tragic real event, fundamentally depriving it of mystical and heroic pathos.
Striving for the utmost sincerity and truthfulness of the image, Rembrandt showed a close crowd of people near the cross, shocked with grief, looking for kinship unity with each other in the face of a terrible death. Brown-olive tonal coloring united the entire composition, and the luminous flux highlighted its main semantic center dramatically. The greatest depth of suffering is embodied in the image of the Mother of God, who has fallen unconscious with her thin, haggard face of a toiler. The second group of mourners is located at the left end of the spatial diagonal - women reverently lay the shroud, fulfilling their direct duty towards the deceased. Supported by the old man, the drooping body of Christ - the embodiment of tortured human flesh - evokes, above all, a feeling of deep compassion.
Jewish bride
One of the last and most mysterious paintings by Rembrandt. The name was given to it in 1825 by the Amsterdam collector Van der Hope. He mistakenly believed that it depicted a father giving his Jewish daughter a necklace for her wedding. Perhaps this is a custom-made portrait, but the clothes of the characters are clearly similar to the old, biblical ones, so the names were suggested as “Artaxerxes and Esther”, “Jacob and Rachel”, “Abram and Sarah”, “Boaz and Ruth”.
Saskia as Flora
A painting by Rembrandt, painted in 1634, which probably depicts the artist's wife Saskia van Eilenbuch in the image of the ancient Italian goddess of flowers, blossom, spring and the fruits of the field Flora.
In 1633, Saskia van Eilenbürch became the bride of Rembrandt van Rijn. A charming portrait of young Saskia dressed as Flora is a mute but eloquent witness to this “time of spring and love” by the brilliant painter.
The pensive, but undoubtedly happy face of the girl is quite consistent with the feelings of the bride. She is no longer a playful child, carelessly looking at God's world. She has a serious task ahead of her: she has chosen a new path and she has to change her mind and feel much, much before she enters adulthood. The headdress and wand, entwined with flowers, undoubtedly indicate Flora, the ancient Roman goddess of spring. The goddess's outfit is painted with amazing skill, but the true greatness of Rembrandt's talent is manifested in the expression of tenderness that the artist gave to her face.
The beloved wife brought the light of happiness and heartfelt contentment into the lonely dwelling of a modest artist. Rembrandt loved to dress Saskia in velvet, silk and brocade, according to the custom of that time, he showered with diamonds and pearls, lovingly watching her lovely, young face win from a shiny outfit
Museum - State Hermitage
Style
Deeply humanistic in its essence and perfect in its unique artistic form, Rembrandt's work has become one of the summits of the development of human civilization. Rembrandt's works, diverse in genre and subject matter, are imbued with the ideas of morality, spiritual beauty and dignity of an ordinary person, an understanding of the incomprehensible complexity of his inner world, the versatility of his intellectual wealth, the depth of his emotional experiences. Containing many unsolved mysteries, the paintings, drawings and etchings of this remarkable artist captivate with the insightful psychological characteristics of the characters, the philosophical acceptance of reality, and the convincing justification of unexpected artistic decisions. His interpretation of stories from the Bible, ancient myths, ancient legends and the past of his native country as really meaningful events in the history of man and society, deeply felt collisions of life of specific people opened the way for a free and multi-valued interpretation of traditional images and themes.
L jubov Rembrandt
The famous muse of Rembrandt Saskia was the youngest daughter of the Mayor of Leeuwarden. This white-skinned red-haired beauty grew up in a large and very wealthy family. When the girl was 12 years old, the mother of the family died. But the girl still did not know anything about the refusal, and when the time came, she became a very enviable bride.
A significant meeting between the artist and the young lady took place in the house of the girl's cousin, the artist Hendrike van Eilenburg, who was also an antiques dealer. Rembrandt is literally struck by the girl: glowing delicate skin, golden hair ... Add to this the ability to conduct a casual conversation. Jokingly, she invited a famous painter to paint her portrait. And that’s all that is needed: Saskia is an ideal model for Rembrandt stories in dark and muted colors.
Rembrandt begins to paint a portrait. He meets with Saskia not only in sessions. Changing his principle, he tries to be on pleasure walks and parties. When work on the portrait was completed and frequent meetings stopped, Rembrandt realizes: this is the one he wants to marry. In 1633, Saskia van Eulenburg became the artist's bride, and on July 22, 1634, the long-awaited wedding took place.
The marriage with Saskia opens the way for the artist to high society. The burgomaster's father left his darling a colossal inheritance: 40,000 florins. Even for a small part of this amount, it was possible to live comfortably for many, many years.
The happy and loving spouses began to equip the common house. It soon began to resemble a museum. The walls were decorated with engravings by Michelangelo and paintings by Raphael. Saskia agreed to everything, she loved her husband very much. And he, in turn, showered her with jewelry, paid for the most exquisite toilets. And, of course, he tried to capture his favorite image. Rembrandt, one might say, became the chronicler of his family life. In the first days of the couple's honeymoon, the famous "Self-portrait with Saskia on his knees" was written.
In 1635, the first son was born in the family, but he lived for a very short time, and this was a terrible blow for the young mother.
For a long time she did not want to part with the body of her son, drove everyone away from herself, not letting go of the dead child. The unhappy mother walked around the house with him, cradling and calling him all the tender names that she and her husband called Rembrantus in the first happy days.
Rembrandt was aware that, with the exception of hours spent at the easel, he could only live near Saskia. Only with her does he feel like a man: love is the source of life, and he loves only Saskia, and no one else.
After the death of Rembrantus, Saskia lost her children twice more at birth. Only the fourth child, Titus, born in 1641, was able to survive the difficult years of infancy. The boy was named after the late Titia, Saskia's sister.
However, the constant childbirth had a detrimental effect on Saskia's health. The appearance of purely landscape images at the end of the 1630s is sometimes explained by the fact that at that time, due to the illness of his wife, Rembrandt had been with her a lot outside the city. The artist painted relatively few portraits in the 1640s.
Saskia van Eulenburg died in 1642. She was only thirty years old. In the coffin, she looked like living ...
At this time, Rembrandt was working on the famous painting "Night Watch".
House-Museum of Rembrandt
Art Museum on Jodenbreestraat Street in the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam. The museum opened in 1911 in the house that Rembrandt acquired at the height of his fame in 1639 and where he lived until his bankruptcy in 1656.
For almost 20 years of his life (from 1639 to 1658) on Jodenbrestrat Street, Rembrandt managed to create many wonderful works, become famous, collect a unique collection of paintings and rarities from all over the world, acquire students, waste the fortune of his first wife, lose main customers, incur huge debts and put the house under the hammer.
Rembrandt also had to sell off much of his lavish collection of paintings and antiques, including works by great European artists, Roman busts of emperors, and even Japanese battle armor, and move into a more modest home. Having survived both wives and even his own son, Rembrandt died in poverty and loneliness.
Two and a half centuries later, in 1911, by order of Korlev Wilhelmina, the house was turned into a museum, which, unlike, for example, the Van Gogh Museum, is, first of all, not an art gallery, but the restored apartments of the great artist: a huge kitchen on on the first floor, the reception room, the master's bedroom and the guest bedroom are on the second, the largest room of the mansion - the studio - is on the third, and in the attic are the workshops of his students.
It was possible to restore the interior with the help of an inventory of property drawn up by a notary during the sale of all the artist's property at an auction, and drawings by the artist himself, in which he depicted his dwelling.
Here you can see his personal belongings, furniture of the 17th century and other interesting exhibits such as a beautiful etching machine or overseas rarities.
The museum exhibits almost all of the great Rembrandt's engravings - 250 out of 280, magnificent self-portraits of the artist, drawings depicting his parents, wife and son Titus, wonderful views of Amsterdam and its environs.
Even the museum toilet requires special attention: there you can see Rembrandt's drawings on a relevant topic: a woman crouching in the bushes and a man standing in a pose typical of this institution.
Rembrandt - everything you need to know about the famous Dutch painter updated: November 13, 2017 by the author: site
It's always hard to talk about what you really love. You carefully choose the right words, turns of speech, you don't know where to start ... Therefore, I'll start with a little revelation: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn- my favorite artist, and I got to know him for a very long time.
In childhood - in the Hermitage, with the stories of the professor-father. In his youth - at the MHC lessons at the institute, with old slides in a dark auditorium on long December evenings. In his youth - in amazing Amsterdam, laughing joyfully in the rays of the setting August sun. I have already read hundreds of lectures about Rembrandt, conducted more than a dozen excursions, but still there is a feeling that now you have to plunge into something unknown, huge, incomprehensible.
It's like jumping from a pier into the waters of the sea, on which you are for the first time. You don't know if the water is cold there, how many stones are at the bottom. It is anticipation and doubt that makes your hands tremble nervously. There is only one way to defeat this - to take a running jump, feeling how your heart is pounding and how at one moment the whole world around you is carried away somewhere into the distance, and now you are alone with something completely new ... Well, what then! We jump, open our eyes and watch!
At the age of 27, he had everything an artist could dream of. Glory, fame, money, beloved woman, hundreds of orders. He was considered the best master of portrait painting in one of the richest cities of his time, in the pearl of northern Europe - Amsterdam.
Yes, there has never been an artist in the world capable of creating such a thing! The portrait had to be perfect, had to brighten up all the shortcomings of a person, but Rembrandt thought differently. His portraits were alive. They conveyed character, there was a conflict in them. Here is a fragment of the portrait of the main tax collector of the province of Holland, Jan Vtenbogart.
Almost the entire state of the republic passed through the hands of this man. And his clothes - an airy lace collar, a long coat made of Russian sable fur - clearly testifies to his condition. Now just look at those eyes. In them you see sadness ... And immediately I remember the canvas of the great predecessor of Rembrandt -. Does not the apostle look at Christ with the same expression when he calls him to him? This portrait is the story of a very rich, but very unhappy man, and the Dutch painter was able to show it in one frozen moment.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn spent all his free time studying facial expressions. He stood for hours at the mirror and made faces, which he then transferred with charcoal to paper. It was important for him to catch the slightest shades of emotion.
The person's face, according to the artist, was a mirror of the soul, he realized this long before Oscar Wilde with his "Portrait of Dorian Gray". But portraits are not the only thing that Rembrandt excelled at. His large canvases impress us no less. The play of chiaroscuro, which Caravaggio developed in his painting, takes on a truly gigantic scale with our master.
He was only 28 years old when he created his first absolute masterpiece. This is the painting "Descent from the Cross". You simply cannot pass by this painting in the Hermitage. In one moment, the artist managed to depict the whole essence of Christianity, to tell one of the greatest human stories as honestly and touchingly as possible, in a way that no one did either before or after him.
Jerusalem in the background is drowning in darkness. The Savior is dead. We see his lifeless body in the center of the picture. This is the moment of utmost despair; no one believes in the resurrection yet. People see only the corpse of a man they loved and worshiped as a god, and the Virgin Mary faints, her skin is deathly pale - she has just lost her only son.
There is one detail on this canvas that does not immediately catch the eye. This is lighting. The light source is a lantern in the boy's hands, but the body of Christ and the clothes of the apostle holding him in his arms reflect the light like a mirror. And it is through the light that the true story is told here, the philosophical meaning of the picture is revealed.
The light of the lantern is the light of faith, and what we see in the picture is an introduction to its mystery. The feeling is created that the very body of the Savior becomes the source of light here. The face of the Mother of God and the shroud illuminated by the dim light of a candle, in which the body of Christ should be wrapped, stand out from the darkness. On this canvas, Rembrandt first applied a technique that in the last years of his life became the main one in his work.
And now we see how a person, who perfectly mastered the technique of writing, painted all the central figures on the canvas in the smallest detail, but, as they moved away from the light, the faces of people became more and more blurred, almost indistinguishable. Everything is very simple - the mystery of what is happening passed them by.
However, there is one more character on this canvas that is not noticeable at first glance. Despite being in the shadows, Rembrandt portrays him very clearly. In the lower right corner of the canvas, from the darkest place, hiding behind the stems of a thistle, the Devil looks at you in the form of a dog and as if asks you a question:
"Have you joined in what is happening?"
Yes, the Dutch master never had enough frames for the picture; he dreamed that his canvases would become a part of this world, and the viewer would become a direct participant in what was happening. But it was precisely this desire that threw him from the heights of glory into the abyss of age-old oblivion.
Unhappiness and oblivion come as fast as luck and glory. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn experienced this firsthand in 1642. Of course, there was grief before that: his children died in infancy. Only one son survived, Titus, born in 1641. But a year later, his beloved wife Saskia, with whom he lived for many years, left this world. And along with this loss, luck turned away from the artist, turned away at the moment when he created one of his greatest paintings.
We can talk endlessly about Rembrandt's "Night Watch". This canvas is so large-scale in its content, so unique in its structured composition that the history of its creation is quite worthy of a separate book, not an article. But, as often happens in life, it was this creation, which subsequently radically changed the entire development of world painting, was rejected by contemporaries.
The clients did not like the way they were portrayed, and many of them refused to pay for the artist's work. The most famous painter of the Netherlands has never experienced such humiliation. In one year, Rembrandt lost his beloved wife and failed with his best work. It would seem that this is quite enough, but no, this was only the beginning of the tragedy. Orders became less and less (classicism and the style of ceremonial portraits became fashionable), and soon the artist's property was sold for debts. From a huge mansion in the very center of Amsterdam, he was forced to move to the outskirts of the city, to the Jewish Quarter, where he rented several rooms with his beloved son Titus.
The most interesting thing is that Rembrandt could easily adapt to the latest fashion trends in art and again receive a lot of money for his canvases. But the painter was convinced that he had to create a completely new style. His portraits were no longer rich people, but the most ordinary citizens of the city of Amsterdam. Such is, for example, "Portrait of an old Jew".
Rembrandt was not interested in the detailed depiction of all items of clothing, he strove for greater abstraction, sought to show the feelings of his characters in perfect accuracy. For his stubbornness, he received only suffering and slaps in the face. This happened with his painting "The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis".
Instead of a classic, pompous, patriotic image, the old master presented this to the public.
Before us is a picture of a barbaric feast, rude, unsightly. This canvas was almost 300 years ahead of its time, anticipating the painting of Expressionism. Not surprisingly, the master's masterpiece was rejected, and his name was covered with indelible shame. But it is precisely these last eight years of his life, spent in absolute, impenetrable poverty, that are one of the most fruitful periods in the work of Rembrandt.
I think that I will write about the paintings of that period, including his "Return of the Prodigal Son," in a separate article. Now I want to tell you about something else. It always amazed me how Rembrandt could work and develop his talent when the blows of fate rained down on him from everywhere. This could not go on for long, and the artist had a presentiment of this.
The final blow is always applied to the most sore spot. They had their only son, Titus, a very sickly boy who looked like his dead mother. It was him that Rembrandt portrayed then most often: both in the form of an angel in the painting "Matthew and the Angel", and reading, and in various costumes. Perhaps the painter thought that with the help of his talent he would somehow be able to postpone the inevitable ... Failed ...
In my opinion, "Portrait of Titus in a Monk's Cassock" is one of the most heartfelt paintings by Rembrandt. She showed all her father's love, all the talent of a painter. In all these coarse strokes, in this darkness advancing on the young man from the left, in the plants already surrounding his body, one stands out - the pale face of the artist's son with downcast eyes full of resignation.
Titus died in 1668, Rembrandt survived him only for a year.
He was dying on the outskirts of Amsterdam, absolutely alone, having received everything in this life and having lost everything. His canvases were forgotten for a long time ... But 150 years have passed, and other artists have already heard what the master was trying to tell his contemporaries, who chose his own unique path instead of fame and money.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606 - 1669) - Dutch painter, draftsman and etcher. Creativity is imbued with the desire for a deep, philosophical comprehension of reality and the inner world of a person with all the wealth of his emotional experiences.
Realistic and humanistic in its essence, it marked the pinnacle of the development of Dutch art in the 17th century, embodying high moral ideals, faith in the beauty and dignity of ordinary people in a brightly individual and perfect artistic form.
Rembrandt. Drawing "Huts under the sky foreshadowing a storm" (1635) Rembrandt's artistic heritage is distinguished by an exceptional variety: portraits, still lifes, landscapes, genre scenes, paintings on biblical, mythological and historical subjects. Rembrandt was an unsurpassed master of drawing and.
Rembrandt. Etching "Mill" (1641) The future great artist was born into a miller's family. After a brief study at Leiden University in 1620, he devoted himself to art. He studied painting with J. van Swanenbürch in Leiden (from 1620 - 1623) and P. Lastman in Amsterdam in 1623. In the period from 1625 to 1631 he worked in Leiden. An example of Elastman's influence on the artist's work is a painting " Allegory of music", Written by Rembrandt in 1626.
Rembrandt "Allegory of Music" In pictures " Apostle Paul"(1629 - 1630) and" Simeon in the temple"(1631) Rembrandt first used chiaroscuro as a means to enhance the spirituality and emotional expressiveness of images.
Rembrandt "Apostle Paul" During these years, Rembrandt worked hard on the portrait, studying the facial expressions of the human face. The artist's creative quest during this period is expressed in a series of self-portraits and portraits of the artist's family members. This is how Rembrandt portrayed himself at the age of 23.
Rembrandt "Self-portrait" In 1632, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam, where he soon married a wealthy patrician woman, Saskia van Eilenbruch. The 30s of the 17th century for the artist are years of family happiness and tremendous artistic success. The family couple is shown in the picture " The prodigal son in the tavern"(1635).
Rembrandt "The Prodigal Son in a Tavern" (1635) At the same time, the artist paints a canvas " Christ during a storm on the sea of Galilee"(1633). The painting is unique in that it is the only seascape of the artist.
Rembrandt "Christ during a storm on the Sea of Galilee" Painting " Anatomy lesson by Dr. Tulpa”(1632), in which the artist solved the problem of the group portrait in a new way, giving the composition a vital ease, and uniting the people in the portrait in a single action, brought Rembrandt wide fame. He received many orders, numerous students worked in his workshop.
Rembrandt "Anatomy Lesson Dr. Tulpa" In custom-made portraits of wealthy burghers, the artist carefully conveyed facial features, the smallest details of clothing, the shine of luxurious jewelry. You can see it on the canvas " Portrait of a burgrave", Written in 1633. At the same time, the models often received an apt social characteristic.
Rembrandt "Portrait of a Burgrave" Freer and more diverse in their composition are his self-portraits and portraits of loved ones:
- » Self-portrait", Written in 1634. At the moment, the canvas is on display at the Louvre.
Rembrandt "Self-portrait" (1634) - » Smiling Saskia". The portrait was painted in 1633. Today it is located in the Dresden Art Gallery.
Rembrandt "Smiling Saskia" These works are distinguished by the lively spontaneity and uplifting of the composition, the free style of painting, major, filled with light, golden colors.
A bold challenge to the classical canons and traditions in the artist's work can be traced to the example of the canvas " Abduction of Ganymede", Written in 1635. At the moment, the work is in the Dresden Art Gallery.
Rembrandt "The Rape of Ganymede" Painting "Danae"
The monumental composition is a vivid embodiment of the artist's new aesthetic views. " Danae"(Written in 1636), in which he argues with the great masters of the Italian Renaissance. The artist went against the generally accepted canons of the image, and created a beautiful painting that went beyond the then ideas of true beauty.
The nude figure of Danae, far from the classical ideals of female beauty, Rembrandt performed about bold realistic immediacy, and the artist contrasted the ideal beauty of the images of Italian masters with the sublime beauty of spirituality and the warmth of a person's intimate feeling.
Rembrandt "Danae" (1636) Subtle shades of emotional experiences were expressed by the painter in the paintings " David and Jonathan"(1642) and" Holy family"(1645). High quality reproductions of Rembrandt paintings can be used for decoration in many styles.
In 1656, Rembrandt was declared insolvent and all of his property was sold at a public auction. He was forced to move to the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam, where he spent the rest of his life.
Rembrandt "The Holy Family" (1645) Painting "Return of the Prodigal Son".
A cold misunderstanding of the Dutch burghers surrounded Rembrandt in the last years of his life. However, the artist continued to create. A year before his death, he began to create his brilliant canvas " Return of the prodigal son"(1668 - 1669), which embodied all artistic and moral - ethical issues.
In this painting, the artist creates a whole range of complex and deep human feelings. The main idea of the painting is the beauty of human understanding, compassion and forgiveness. The climax, tension of feelings and the moment of resolution of passions that follows it are embodied in expressive poses and mean, laconic gestures of father and son.
Rembrandt "The Return of the Prodigal Son"
