Biography of REMBRANDT VAN RIJN:
Influence: one of the most important figures of the Golden Age of seventeenth- century Dutch art, prolific master of painting, drawing, and etching.
had nine children
Born in Leiden(1606)—>attended the University of Leiden—>drop out to study painting as apprentice—>Studied with the history painter Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam (1624) —> returned to Leiden for eight years—>permanently relocating to Amsterdam (1632).
portraitist but painted a variety of genres(religious and mythological subjects)
first major commission:The Anatomy Lesson of Dr . Nicolaes Tulp(painted when Rembrandt was only twenty-five).
distinguished him from the large market of seventeenth century Dutch painters
A. Handling of light and dark—>a sense of drama and psychological intensity (Baroque art) B.Comprehensive range of tonalities and contrasts
C.suffuse golden glow and impasto(厚涂)
As Rembrandt’s success grew—> established a large, bustling studio with several students and assistants (pupils included Gerrit Dou, Govert Flinck, Ferdinand Bol, Nicolaes Maes, and Carel Fabritius)
Collected art and antiquities—>some served as inspiration—>Profligate spending haunt him and struggled with financial solvency throughout his life until his death in 1669—>buried as a pauper in an unmarked grave
Significant contributions to printmaking:explored the expressive possibilities of etchings and drypoint, embracing all aspects of the process from preparing and inking the plates to pulling the prints himself.—> Compared to paintings, prints were affordable.smaller and lighter and easier to transport. —>widely circulation —>Rembrandt’s talent as an etcher and his sensitive command of light —>widely respected throughout Europe—>internationally reputation
SUBJECT MATTER AND VISUAL ANALYSIS
Key aspect of Rembrandt’s brilliance: lighting & figure arrangement—introducing a narrative element into the scene—>turn a group portrait into a compelling composition.
first demonstrated this skill:The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
reached its pinnacle(顶峰):The Night Watch.
The Anatomy Lesson:Dr. Tulp(the head of the surgeon’s guild) at center right, surrounded by a group of physicians who are gathered to see the famous anatomist work on a cadaver(尸体).
The viewer is brought close to the picture plane as though we too are present in the operating theater. This type of visceral intimacy is an attribute of Baroque art.
Dr.Tulp: A.distinguished from the other gentlemen by his dark hat. B.surgical tool in his right hand:display the musculature (肌肉系统) in the cadaver’s arm. C.duality(双重性):Exposed hand of the cadaver and the gesturing hand of Dr. Tulp.
The doctor’s hand is flexed -->demonstrating to the assembled group how the muscles and tendons in the hand work<—>cadaver’s inert hand. Rembrandt’s hand is present in the painting: visible brushwork.
Observing physicians are positioned A. form a pyramid:Renaissance compositions hallmark BUT pyramid is off center, counter to the harmony and balance prized in Renaissance painting—>The body extends at a diagonal across the bottom of the picture plane & At his feet a large anatomy text propped open on a bookstand in the right corner.
B. Before: Figures evenly aligned and uniform light source. In the picture:The variation of the poses and selective lighting—> Each of the physicians is individualized; their facial features different,and each is focused on different aspects of the scene —>energy and tension.
Some look at Dr. Tulp
others look at the anatomy book or at the incision(切又).
The man standing in the back (at the top of the pyramid) looks out at the viewer. ——>different reactions of the doctors —>differing levels of engagement. Rembrandt conveys a range of emotional responses
respect
concentration
detachment(冷漠)
C. The names of the men portrayed in the picture:listed on the piece of paper held by the man at the back.
The book: De humani corporis fabrica (1543)—Andreas Vesalius’ landmark study of human anatomy—first book of anatomical illustration.
dead man’s exposed body, covered only by a loincloth: A. The graphic depiction of the dissection(解剖) is not idealized—>unflinching realism was a hallmark of the Netherlandish painting tradition B. remind the images of the deposed body of Christ in Renaissance art. The foreshortening of the body laid out on the exam table—>Mantagna’s Dead Christ, a foreshortened image of Christ on a marble slab being mourned by the Virgin Mary. C. In Rembrandt’s painting, dramatic lighting, composition, and iconographic Christian allusions—>science has replaced the spiritual element.
Rembrandt never travelled to Italy himself BUT his teacher Pieter Lastman—>told him Caravaggio’s tenebrism (暗色调主义).
A. Tenebrism(distinctive feature of Baroque art) :darkness contrasted with dramatic spotlighting. B. figures emerge from darkness, raking light falling across their heads and the corpse—>diagonal line between the doctors, the body, and the anatomy text.
C.light is used symbolically—>illumination of knowledge brought about by scientific analysis. Rembrandt’s anatomical portrait<—>conventional group portrait genre:full- length corpse in the center of the image.
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
This painting was commissioned by the Guild of Surgeons and intended for their boardroom.
(17century)The Dutch Republic was a Protestant(新教教徒)nation—>patronage and the art market.
(Renaissance)Catholic Church was a significant patron.
(Baroque)Catholic Church remained an important source of commissions in Catholic regions like Italy and Spain.
the Protestant Reformation rejected:elaborate religious art of the past(idolatrous) —>systematically removed artworks from churches in Northern Europe.
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