Rembrandt van Rijn was one of the greatest Dutch masters of the Baroque period. He worked in a wide range of subjects including portraits, history paintings, and biblical scenes. Rembrandt had a deeply personal interpretation of religious subjects, seeking to portray biblical figures as real people. He was renowned for his use of chiaroscuro and his dramatic manipulation of light and shadow to convey emotion and psychology. Later in life, Rembrandt's style became looser and more expressive as he sought to capture fleeting moments. His self-portraits provide intimate insights into the artist and how his mood changed over his lifetime. Jan Vermeer was another great Dutch painter who specialized in tranquil domestic interior scenes lit by even

1. Rembrandt van Rijn

2. Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1659-60
Kenwood House, London
One of the greatest masters of Dutch Baroque painting was
Rembrandt van Rijn, who worked in a range of subjects, and
was renowned for etchings and engravings, as much as for
his paintings

3. Rembrandt van Rijn, Tobit and Anna
with a Kid, 1626
Rijksmuseum
Rembrandt continued to paint religious subjects, in spite of
Protestant attitudes. Yet his approach to religious subjects
remained consistent with Protestant values

4. Luther and Calvin both emphasized the importance of
reading the bible, and Rembrandt’s religious subjects reflect
his deeply personal interpretation of stories from the Old and
New Testaments

5. Rembrandt van Rijn, Tobit and Anna
with a Kid, 1626
Rijksmuseum
Caravaggio’s tenebrism can be seen in Rembrandt’s dark,
night-like scenes

6. Rembrandt van Rijn, Tobit and Anna
with a Kid, 1626
Rijksmuseum
Like Caravaggio as well, he used real people as models for
his religious subjects

7. Rembrandt van Rijn, The
Prophetess Anna (known as
'Rembrandt's Mother'), 1631
Rijksmuseum
He sometimes portrayed family members (as well as himself)
in the guise of religious saints and prophets to express his
profound belief that Holiness can be found in each and every
individual, and that beauty is something that comes from
within

9. Rembrandt van Rijn, Head of
Jesus Christ, c. 1648-54
Detroit Institute of Art
Rembrandt often used Jewish models for his Old Testament
scenes, recognizing that the historical characters of the bible
were themselves Jewish and Middle Eastern by birth

10. Rembrandt van Rijn, Head of
Jesus Christ, c. 1648-54
Detroit Institute of Art
“For Rembrandt, working from a Jewish model would have
been a means of returning to a historical truth, of portraying
Jesus unadulterated, as the Jew that he was—a form of
realism scoffing at tradition.”
Louvre

11. Rembrandt van Rijn,
Naked Woman Seated
on a Mound, 1631
Etching; British
Museum
Rembrandt also rejected the values of Classical idealism

12. Rembrandt van Rijn,
Naked Woman Seated
on a Mound, 1631
Etching; British
Museum
He saw beauty in our humanity, and did not see the need to
“photoshop” away our imperfections

13. Rembrandt’s approach to religious subjects was very
different from his Catholic contemporaries

14. Peter Paul Rubens, Descent from the Cross, 1612 Rembrandt, Descent from the Cross, 1612
We can get a sense of his approach by comparing these two
paintings of the Descent from the Cross

15. Rubens’ version is full of operatic drama

16. The figures heroic and grand in their gestures and actions

17. Rembrandt “turns down the volume,” so that we can focus on
the deeply human meaning of this story

18. Christ’s body is very different from Rubens’ heroic ideal

19. He seems vulnerable and human, which only intensifies our
empathy for his suffering

20. And the people around him are not opulently dressed actors
playing roles, but real people that we can identify with

21. Rembrandt, Descent
from the Cross, 1612
If Rembrandt’s pictures are “quiet,” they are no less
psychologically intense — and one of his primary means of
conveying emotion and psychology is through his use of light

22. Rembrandt, Descent
from the Cross, 1612
Like a movie director, Rembrandt understood how lighting can effect mood and
emotion

23. Rembrandt, Descent
from the Cross, 1612
In Rembrandt’s pictures, the lighting carries all of the
emotional intensity

24. Rembrandt, Descent
from the Cross, 1612
Metropolitan Museum
Like Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt was a master printmaker

25. Rembrandt, Christ with the Sick (Hundred Guilder Print), 1649
Etching
Rijksmuseum
This etching sold for the record sum of 100 guilders (hence it is nicknamed the
“Hundred Guilder print”), and it reflects Rembrandt’s deeply humanist interpretation
of Christ’s life

26. In this scene Christ is preaching to the sick, the lame, and the young – the outcasts
of society who he chose to be his followers

27. The figures that surround him were studied from real life

30. Christ gestures for the people to gather near him, as beams of light surround
him, bringing brightness from the gloom, and hope and salvation to the afflicted

31. Once again, the lighting plays a key role in the emotional intensity of the scene

32. Rembrandt, Portrait of
Herman Doomer, 1640
Metropolitan Museum
Rembrandt’s main source of income was portraits

33. Rembrandt Van Rijn, Portrait of
Johannes Wtenbogaert , 1633
Rijksmuseum
As Simon Schama puts it: he knew how to make his patrons look rich without
“showing off”

35. http://youtu.be/zJYlzyNQjpc?t=3m27s

36. Cornelis Anthonisz, Banquet of Members of Amsterdam's Crossbow Civic Guard, 1533
Amsterdam Historical Museum
Wikimedia
The most prestigious commissions came from Dutch militia companies who regularly
commissioned group portraits to commemorate their annual banquets

37. Cornelis Anthonisz, Banquet of Members of Amsterdam's Crossbow Civic Guard, 1533
Amsterdam Historical Museum
Wikimedia
Traditionally, these portraits were very stiff and formal — much like a 5th grade class
photo – with every member painted individually, since each paid an equal sum for
the picture

38. Frans Hals, Archers of Saint Hadrian, c. 1633
Frans Hals Museum, Harlem
Frans Hals, who specialized in this genre, introduced a new liveliness by depicting
members in a candid moment of merrymaking

39. Several of the sitters look out at the viewer, making us feel as if we have just joined
the party

40. This kind of “viewer participation” links Hals with artists of the Catholic Baroque,
even if the goals are very different

41. Rembrandt van Rijn, The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch
(The Night Watch), 1642
Rijksmuseum
Rembrandt went one step further by showing the group in action, as they form ranks
to greet the arrival of the Queen of France

42. There is a “swoosh” of movement as the
captain and his lieutenant advance out of
the picture

43. he spear seems to actually
oject out of the picture, and
to our space

44. Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulwehner/735786908/sizes/o/
The figures are life size, so the effect of
“bursting” into our space is really quite
convincing

45. Watch the Smarthistory conversation about the Nightwatch

46. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJYlzyNQjpc&feature=youtu.be&t=6m55s
6.55
I also encourage you to watch Simon Schama’s discussion of the work

47. Rembrandt van Rijn, The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch
(The Night Watch), 1642
Rijksmuseum
The patron’s of Rembrandt’s Night Watch did not like the work, and they refused to
pay him

48. Rembrandt van Rijn, The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch
(The Night Watch), 1642
Rijksmuseum
We can only speculate as to their reasons, but the set back was just one of many
that Rembrandt suffered at this time: in 1642 his wife Saskia died, and in 1656 he
was declared bankrupt (Rembrandt was a notorious spendthrift, and had great
difficulties managing his money).

49. Rembrandt van Rijn, Supper
at Emmaus, 1646
Louvre
It was at this point that his religious subjects became more introspective and
contemplative (as Simon Schama says, “he turned down the volume of the world
and switched to an inner, quiet radiance”)

50. Rembrandt, A Woman bathing in a Stream (Hendrickje Stoffels?), 1654
National Gallery, London
His painting style also changed dramatically

51. Rembrandt’s earlier paintings were meticulously rendered, with smooth and precise
details

52. Compared to his earlier work, this painting of a woman wading in a stream is
remarkably sketchy, and loosely painted

53. Rembrandt used a variety of techniques, such as scumbling, impasto, and sgrafitto.

54. To his contemporaries, the style seemed sloppy and unfinished, but Rembrandt
understood that this sketchy way painting gave his subjects an immediacy that could
not be achieved with a more highly detailed and realistic style

55. Rembrandt
And his painting style changed
dramatically
Rembrandt, A Woman bathing in a Stream (Hendrickje Stoffels?), 1654
National Gallery, London
In his earlier works, the light is static – in his later work, the light seems to flicker, so
we it feels like a captured moment in time

56. Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1659
National Gallery, Washington
All of these nuances of lighting and painterly effects can be seen in Rembrandt’s
self-portraits

57. Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1659
National Gallery, Washington
Rembrandt painted many self-portraits throughout his life, and they provide an
intimate insight into the soul of the artist and the man

58. Leonardo da Vinci,
Mona Lisa, 1503-1505
Like Leonardo, Rembrandt strove to express intangible nuances of mood and
psychology

59. Rembrandt, Self Portrait
at an Early Age, 1628
Rijksmuseum
To communicate the intangible psychology of the “invisible mind,” Rembrandt used
lighting effects to create subtle nuances of character and mood

60. Rembrandt, Self Portrait
at an Early Age, 1628
Rijksmuseum

61. Photographers actually study a technique that is called “Rembrandt lighting” – this is
a tutorial on how to render Rembrandts lighting effects digitally

62. This is the original picture

63. Here, the lighting has been altered, which changes the mood dramatically

64. Rembrandt, Self Portrait
as a Young Man, 1634
Galleria degli Uffizi,
Florence
Web Gallery of Art
Rembrandt’s early self-portraits capture the exuberance and confidence of youth

65. Rembrandt, Self Portrait at the
Age of 34, 1640
National Gallery, London
Here we see him at the height of his career looking confident and self assured

66. Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1659
National Gallery, Washington
And here we see him 19 years later, and the mood has changed dramatically

67. Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1659
National Gallery, Washington
At this point in life he has experienced many set backs, including the death of his
wife and bankruptcy

68. Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1659
National Gallery, Washington
It is incredible that we can “read” this psychological trauma in his face

69. “Sorrow, pride, fear, strength, vulnerability, disillusionment, regret--all have left their
imprint..”
Susan Fegley Osmond, “Rembrandt’s Self Portraits”

70. “None of his portraits is an observed document of a person's appearance . . . Each
tries to get at the invisible mind, soul, character - whatever you call the inner person,
Rembrandt paints it . . .”
Jonathan Jones, Self Portrait at Age 63 (Rembrandt)

71. Image source: http://blog.jimmorinpaintings.com/wp-content/ngarembrandtself.jpg

72. Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1659-60
Kenwood House, London
In Rembrandt’s self-portraits we witness the culmination of Renaissance Humanism
and its awakening self-awareness

73. For here we encounter an individual in the modern sense of the term

74. “This is not like looking at a painting. It is like meeting Rembrandt. You have no idea
what to say to him, and fear what he is about to say to you”.
Jonathan Jones, Self Portrait at Age 63 (Rembrandt)

75. Jan Vermeer
The other great Dutch painter was
Jan Vermeer
Vermeer made his living as an
innkeeper and art dealer
He painted only a small handful of
paintings
Jan Vermeer, The Little Street, 1657-8
Rijksmuseum

76. Jan Vermeer
Most of Vermeer’s paintings are
interior scenes like this one
“In Vermeer's paintings, the
light generally enters from the
left . . . Sometimes the painting
shows a window, sometimes
only the light entering”
Rijksmuseum
Jan Vermeer, Woman Reading a Letter, 1662-1663
Rijksmuseum

77. Jan Vermeer
Jan Vermeer, The Kitchen Maid, 1658
Rijksmuseum

78. Jan Vermeer
“Vermeer's paintings are
always lit by even daylight,
quite unlike the dark and light
contrast in Rembrandt’s work.
Vermeer's light is not meant to
give a dramatic effect. Rather it
helps establish a tranquil
atmosphere.”
Rijksmuseum
Jan Vermeer, The Kitchen Maid, 1658
Rijksmuseum

79. Jan Vermeer
In this picture, a young woman
pauses to look out a window
The picture is infused with a sense
of quiet serenity
Jan Vermeer, Young Woman with a Pitcher, 1662
Metropolitan Museum

80. Jan Vermeer
Vermeer studied light scientifically
He discovered that shadows are
not colorless
The shadows on the woman’s veil
are purple and blue rather than gray

82. Jan Vermeer
The pitcher picks up the blue of the
garment hanging over the back of
the chair
The tray picks up the myriad colors
of the carpet covering the table

83. Jan Vermeer
It is widely believed that Vermeer
used a camera obscura as an aid
A camera obscura
Image source: http://www.richeast.org/htwm/VERMEER/VERMEER.HTML

84. Jan Vermeer
A camera obscura is a box (or
room) with a pin hole that creates
an apeture
Objects outside the box are
projected on the interior wall (and
are inverted)
A camera obscura
Image source: http://www.richeast.org/htwm/VERMEER/VERMEER.HTML

85. This theory is supported by the
“circles of confusion” that appear in
Vermeer’s pictures
They are like the blurry parts of a
picture that is slightly out of focus

87. Light
Light was a central element in
Baroque art
Bernini used it for dramatic effect in
his work

88. Light
Caravaggio used it for dramatic
impact, and to suggest the
mysterious presence of God

89. Light
Rembrandt manipulated lighting
effects so that its infinite nuances
could suggest psychology, mood,
and emotion
Rembrandt, Self Portrait at an Early Age, 1628
Rijksmuseum

90. Light
Vermeer studied light like a
scientist, but applied it like a poet
Jan Vermeer, Young Woman with a Pitcher, 1662
Metropolitan Museum

91. The Art of Painting
One of Vermeer’s most famous
works is called the Art of Painting
It is a tribute to the art of painting as
an intellectual pursuit
Jan Vermeer, The Art of Painting, 1670-1675
Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna

92. The picture takes place in an
artist’s studio
It is a well appointed interior,
signifying status and wealth

93. The painter is seated at his
easel dressed in noble clothing,
rather than as a mere workman

94. He is painting a model, posed
as Clio, the muse of history

95. She wears a laurel wreath and
holds a trumpet -- emblems of
the “fame” that history will
bestow upon the artist who
records her likeness

96. Fame, genius, and creativity
are key components of our
definition of the artist today
Life Magazine feature on Jackson Pollock, 1949

97. It all began with the
artist’s self-discovery in
the Renaissance