Rembrant Harmens van Rijn (1606-1669), Dutch painter.

Having entered the University of Leiden in 1620, Rembrandt soon left it and began to study painting. In 1625-1631 he worked in his hometown. The main ones in his work of the early period were paintings on religious subjects, as well as.

The year 1632 turned out to be a happy year for Rembrandt. He moved to Amsterdam and married a wealthy city dweller, Saskia van Uylenburg, and the painting “The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Tulp” brought the young painter universal recognition.

The most prosperous decade of his life began for the master. He had many students (Rembrandt's school). During this period, he wrote such masterpieces as “Self-Portrait with Saskia” (1635) and “Danae” (1636).

The extremely cheerful art of Rembrandt from the 1930s. combines the experience of Renaissance and Baroque masters and an innovative approach to classical subjects.

The period of success suddenly ended in 1642: the magnificent work “Night Watch” - a group portrait of members of the Shooting Guild of Amsterdam - was rejected by customers who did not appreciate the artist’s innovations and subjected him to sharp criticism.

Rembrandt practically stopped receiving orders; almost all his students left him. Saskia died that same year.

Since the 40s Rembrandt abandoned theatrical effects in his work; the mystical, contemplative principle intensified in his painting. The artist often turned to the image of his second wife, Hendrikje Stoffels.

The painting “The Holy Family” (1645), a series of self-portraits, and the best landscapes are marked by depth, calm and emotional richness. But failures continued to haunt Rembrandt: in 1656 he was declared an insolvent debtor, his property was sold at auction, and the family moved to a modest house in the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam.

The painting “The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis” (1661), commissioned by the town hall, shared the fate of the “Night Watch”. In 1663, the artist buried his wife and son.

Despite his deteriorating vision, Rembrandt continued to paint. A unique result of his work was the canvas “The Return of the Prodigal Son” (1668-1669).

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

The largest representative of the Golden Age, artist, engraver, great master of chiaroscuro - and all this is in one name: Rembrandt.

Rembrandt was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden. This great Dutch artist managed to embody in his works the entire spectrum of human experiences with such emotional richness that fine art had never known before.

Life

He grew up in a large family of a wealthy mill owner, Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn. Among other things, Rhein's property included two more houses, and he also received a significant dowry from his wife Cornelia Neltje. The future artist’s mother was the daughter of a baker and knew cooking. Even after the Dutch Revolution, her mother’s family remained faithful to the Catholic faith.

In Leiden, Rembrandt attended the Latin school at the university, but did not like exact sciences and showed the greatest interest in painting. Realizing this fact, his parents at the age of 13 sent Rembrandt to study fine art with the Leiden historical painter Jacob van Swanenburch, who was a Catholic. Rembrandt's works, varied in genre and theme, are imbued with ideas of morality, spiritual beauty and dignity of the ordinary person, an understanding of the incomprehensible complexity of his inner world, the versatility of his intellectual wealth, and the depth of his emotional experiences. Very little information has reached us about Jacob, which is why historians and art critics cannot say for sure about the influence of Swanenberg on Rembrandt’s creative style.

Then, in 1623, he studied in Amsterdam with the then fashionable painter Pieter Lastman, after which, returning to Leiden, he opened his own workshop in 1625 together with his fellow countryman Jan Lievens.

Pitera Lastman trained in Italy and specialized in historical, mythological and biblical subjects. When Rembrandt opened a workshop and began recruiting students, he became significantly famous in a short time. If you look at the artist’s first works, you can immediately understand that Lastman’s style – a passion for diversity and pettiness of execution – had a huge influence on the young artist. For example, his work “The Stoning of St. Stephen" (1629), "Scene from Ancient History" (1626) and "The Baptism of the Eunuch" (1626), very bright, unusually colorful, Rembrandt strives to carefully describe every detail of the material world. Almost all the heroes appear before the viewer dressed in fancy oriental outfits, shining with jewelry, which creates an atmosphere of pomp, pomp, and festivity.

In 1628, the twenty-two-year-old artist was recognized as a “highly famous” master, a famous portrait painter.

The painting “Judas Returns the Silver Pieces” (1629) evoked an enthusiastic review from the famous art connoisseur Constantin Huygens, secretary of the stadtholder Frederick Hendrik of Orange: “... this body trembling with pathetic trepidation is what I prefer to good taste of all times.”

Thanks to Constantine’s connections, Rembrandt soon acquired wealthy art admirers: due to Hagens’s mediation, the Prince of Orange commissioned several religious works from the artist, such as “Christ before Pilate” (1636).

Real success for an artist comes in Amsterdam. On June 8, 1633, Rembrandt met the daughter of a wealthy burgher, Saskia van Uylenburch, and gained a strong position in society. The artist painted most of his paintings while in the capital of the Netherlands.

Amsterdam - a bustling port and industrial city, into which goods and curiosities flocked from all over the world, where people grew rich through trade and banking transactions, where outcasts of feudal Europe flocked in search of refuge, and where the well-being of wealthy burghers coexisted with depressing poverty, has strong ties with the artist .

Rembrandt's Amsterdam period began with the stunning success brought to him by The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp (1632, The Hague, Mauritshuis), which changed the tradition of Dutch group portraits. Rembrandt contrasted the usual demonstration of people of the general profession posing for the artist with the dramaturgy of a freely decided scene, the participants of which - members of the guild of surgeons, listening to their colleague, are united by intellectually and spiritually active inclusion 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 depicted a woman in a silver pencil wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Saskia appeared in the Dutchman’s paintings in a cozy home environment. The image of this plump-cheeked woman appears on many canvases, for example, the mysterious girl in the painting “Night Watch” strongly resembles the artist’s beloved.

The thirties in Rembrandt's life 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, ancient sculpture, minerals, sea plants, ancient weapons, and objects of oriental art; When working on paintings, exhibits from the collection often served as props for the artist.

Rembrandt's works from this period are extremely varied; they testify to a tireless, sometimes painful search for an artistic understanding of the spiritual and social essence of man and nature and demonstrate trends 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 chiaroscuro effects, changes the tonality of the color scheme, 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 story “The Sacrifice of Abraham” was painted, which was highly appreciated in secular society.

In 1642, van Rijn received an order from the Shooting Society for a group portrait to decorate the 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 took place during the daytime.

Rembrandt meticulously depicted every detail of the musketeers in motion: as if at a certain moment time stood still when the militia came out of the dark courtyard so that van Rijn captured them on the canvas.

Customers did not like the fact that the Dutch painter deviated from the canons that developed in the 17th century. Then group portraits were ceremonial, and the participants were depicted full-face without any static.

According to scientists, this painting was the reason for the artist’s bankruptcy in 1653, as it scared away potential clients.

Tragic changes in Rembrandt’s personal fate (the death of newborn children, his mother, in 1642 - the illness and death of Saskia, who left him a nine-month-old son Titus), the deterioration of his financial situation due to his stubborn reluctance to sacrifice freedom of spirit and creativity to please the changing tastes of the burghers, aggravated and exposed the gradually ripening conflict between the artist and society.

Information about Rembrandt's private life in the 1640s. Little remains in the documents. Of the students of this period, only Nicholas Mas from Dordrecht is known. Apparently, the artist continued to live in grand style, as before. The family of the late Saskia expressed concern about how he disposed of her dowry. Titus's nanny, Geertje Dirks, sued him for breaking his promise to marry; To resolve this incident, the artist had to fork out money.

At the end of the 1640s, Rembrandt became friends with his young maid 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 her daughter Cornelia was born to the artist in 1654. During these years, Rembrandt moved away from themes that had a grandiose national or universal resonance.

The artist spends a long time working on engraved portraits of burgomaster Jan Six (1647) and other influential burghers. All the techniques and techniques of engraving known to him were put to use in the production of the elaborate etching “Christ Healing the Sick,” better known as the “Hundred Guilder Leaf,” which was once sold for such a huge price for the 17th century. He worked on this etching, striking in its subtlety of light and shadow, 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. house 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 died a year later.

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn died in October 1669. He was 63 years old. He was old, sick and poor. The notary did not have to spend much time compiling an inventory of the artist’s property. The inventory was brief: “three worn 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 Rembrandt’s last works. It was written in the year of his death, and became the pinnacle of his talent.

This is Rembrandt's largest painting on a religious theme. Painting by Rembrandt based on the New Testament parable of the Prodigal Son.

We find the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke. It tells about a young man who left his father's house and squandered his inheritance. He spent his days in idleness, debauchery and drunkenness until he found himself in a barnyard, where he ate from the same trough with the pigs. Finding himself 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 - all-forgiving, deep and tender fatherly love.

1669 Rembrandt plays out a human drama before the viewer. The paints lie on the canvas in thick strokes. They are dark. The artist does not care about minor characters, even if there are quite a few of them. Attention is again focused on father and son. The old father, hunched over with grief, faces the viewer. In this face there is pain, and eyes tired from crying tears, and the happiness of a long-awaited meeting. The son has his back turned to us. He buried himself like a baby in his father’s royal robe. We don't know what his face expresses. But the cracked heels, the bare skull of the tramp, the poor clothes say enough. Like the father's hands squeezing the young man's shoulders. Through the calmness 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 and 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 one of your hired servants. He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him.”

In addition to father and son, the picture depicts 4 more characters. These are dark silhouettes that are difficult to distinguish against a dark background, but who they are remains a mystery. Some called them the protagonist's "brothers and sisters." 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 in any way.

Van Gogh very accurately said about Rembrandt: “You have to die several times in order to paint like that... Rembrandt penetrates the mystery so deeply that he speaks about objects for which there are no words in any language. That's why Rembrandt is called: a wizard. And this is not a simple craft.”

The night Watch

The name by which Rembrandt’s group portrait “The Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg”, painted in 1642, is traditionally known.

The canvas of the Dutch master is fraught with many “surprises”. Let's start with the fact that the title of the picture that we are accustomed to does not correspond to reality: the patrol depicted on it is in fact not at all night, but very much during the day. It’s just that Rembrandt’s work was varnished several times, which is why it darkened greatly. In addition, for almost 100 years (from the beginning of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th century), the canvas decorated one of the halls of the Amsterdam City Hall, where it hung directly opposite the fireplace, becoming 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 was completely forgotten, and everyone was sure that the master depicted the dark time of day. Only in 1947, during restoration at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where the painting remains to this day, did it become clear that its coloring was incomparably lighter than was generally believed. Moreover, the short shadows cast by the characters indicate that it takes place between noon and two o'clock in the afternoon. However, the restorers did not remove all the layers of dark varnish for fear of damaging the paint, which is why “Night Watch” is still quite twilight.

The real title of the painting is “Performance of the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Wilhem van Ruytenburg.” This is a group portrait of musketeers-militiamen of one of the districts of Amsterdam. From 1618 to 1648, the Thirty Years' War raged in Europe, and residents of Dutch cities took up arms to defend their homes. Rembrandt's creation, along with portraits of other rifle companies, was to decorate the main hall in Kloveniersdolen - the headquarters of the city riflemen. But the customers were disappointed: Rembrandt did not produce a monumental ceremonial portrait, but a genre painting in which they had difficulty finding their own faces, often half hidden by other characters. Still would! After all, the artist, in addition to 18 customers (each of whom paid about 100 gold guilders for his portrait - a very impressive amount for those times), squeezed 16 more people onto the canvas! Who they are is unknown.

Museum – Amsterdam History Museum?

Three crosses

One of Rembrandt's most famous etchings, it has five states. Only the third is signed and dated, therefore, Rembrandt considered the rest to be intermediate. The fifth condition is very rare, only five specimens 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 chisel and drypoint techniques on an unprecedented scale, which increased the contrast of the image.

On December 2, 2008, at Christie's, this etching (IV condition) was sold for £421,250.

Descent from the Cross

In 1814, Alexander I purchased the Malmaison Gallery, which belonged to her, from Empress Josephine. Some of the paintings came from the famous Kassel Gallery, including the Descent from the Cross. Previously, these paintings were the property of Madame de Roover in Delft and, together with other paintings from her collection, were purchased by the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Ludwig VII. In 1806, his gallery was seized by Napoleon and presented to Josephine.

The successor of the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Ludwig VII, a former ally of Alexander I, presented to the emperor in 1815 a demand for the return of the paintings captured by Napoleon. This demand was decisively rejected by Alexander I, who paid money for the paintings and showed Josephine’s attention to her daughter Hortensia in every possible way. In 1829, Hortense, who at that time bore the title of Duchess of Saint-Leu, purchased thirty paintings from the Malmaison Gallery.
The theme “Descent from the Cross” had a large iconographic tradition in European art. Her highest achievement was considered the altar painting by Rubens in the Antwerp Cathedral, widely known from the Vorstermann engraving.

Rembrandt's creative thought wanders somewhere close to 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 style; it is not for nothing that “The Descent from the Cross” looks so much like “The Unbelief of the Apostle Thomas.”
Rubens depicted the sublime grief of a group of majestic and beautiful people about a majestic and beautiful hero; Rembrandt's restless mass night scene. Numerous figures either retreat into the darkness or fall into a ray of light, and it seems that the crowd moves, lives, grieving for the crucified man and pitying his mother. There is nothing ideal in the appearance of people; many of them are rude and ugly. Their feelings are very strong, but these are the feelings of ordinary people, not enlightened by that sublime catharsis that is in Rubens’s painting.

The dead Christ is a man like them; It is precisely because of the intensity 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 man supporting him and pressing his cheek to him.
From an artistic point of view, the fragmentary, restless composition is inferior to both the famous painting by Rubens and some of the works of Rembrandt himself, executed in the same years. For example, “The Unbelief of the Apostle Thomas,” which is less significant in its content, seems outwardly more harmonious as a whole. However, in “The Descent from the Cross,” Rembrandt’s inherent understanding of biblical and gospel themes emerges more clearly.

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 addressed not to the perception of the crowd, but to the 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 by grief, seeking family unity with each other in the face of terrible death. The brown-olive tonal coloring united the entire composition, and the light flux dramatically highlighted its main semantic center. The greatest depth of suffering is embodied in the image of the Mother of God, who has fallen unconscious, with her thin, emaciated face of a worker. The second group of mourners is located at the left end of the spatial diagonal - women reverently lay out the shroud, fulfilling their direct duty towards the deceased. The drooping body of Christ supported by the old man - the embodiment of tormented human flesh - evokes, first of 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 Hop. He mistakenly believed that it depicted a father giving a necklace to his Jewish daughter for her wedding. Perhaps this is a commissioned portrait, but the clothes of the characters are clearly similar to the ancient, biblical ones, so “Artaxerxes and Esther”, “Jacob and Rachel”, “Abram and Sarah”, “Boaz and Ruth” were proposed as the title.

Saskia as Flora

A painting by Rembrandt, painted in 1634, which probably depicts the artist's wife Saskia van Uylenbuch as the ancient Italian goddess of flowers, blossom, spring and field fruits, Flora.

In 1633, Saskia van Uylenburch became the bride of Rembrandt van Rijn. The charming portrait of young Saskia in Flora's outfit is a silent but eloquent witness to this “time of spring and love” by the brilliant painter.

The girl’s thoughtful, but undoubtedly happy face is quite consistent with the bride’s feelings. She is no longer a playful child, carefree looking at God's world. She faces a serious task: she has chosen a new path and she has a lot to change her mind and experience before she enters adulthood. The headdress and staff entwined with flowers certainly point to Flora, the ancient Roman goddess of spring. The goddess's outfit was painted with amazing skill, but the true greatness of Rembrandt's talent is revealed in the expression of tenderness that the artist gave to her face.

His beloved wife brought a light of happiness and heartfelt contentment into the lonely home of the modest artist. Rembrandt loved to dress Saskia in velvet, silk and brocade, according to the custom of that time, showered him with diamonds and pearls, lovingly watching how her lovely, young face benefited from the brilliant outfit

Museum – State Hermitage

Style

Deeply humanistic in its essence and perfect in its unique artistic form, Rembrandt's work became one of the pinnacles of the development of human civilization. Rembrandt's works, varied in genre and theme, are imbued with ideas of morality, spiritual beauty and dignity of the ordinary person, an understanding of the incomprehensible complexity of his inner world, the versatility of his intellectual wealth, and the depth of his emotional experiences. Concealing 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 truly meaningful events in the history of man and society, deeply felt life conflicts of specific people opened the way for a free and multi-valued interpretation of traditional images and themes.

Love by Rembrandt

Rembrandt's famous muse Saskia was the youngest daughter of the burgomaster of the city 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 what to refuse, 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 Hendrik van Uylenburg, who was also an antiques dealer. Rembrandt is literally smitten by the girl: glowing soft skin, golden hair... Add to this the ability to conduct a casual conversation. Jokingly, she invited the famous painter to paint her portrait. And that’s all that’s needed: Saskia is an ideal model for Rembrandt’s subjects in dark and muted colors.

Rembrandt begins to paint a portrait. He meets Saskia not only during sessions. Belying his principles, he tries to attend pleasure walks and parties. When work on the portrait was completed and frequent meetings stopped, Rembrandt realized: this is the one he wants to marry. In 1633, Saskia van Uylenburgh became the artist’s bride, and on July 22, 1634, the long-awaited wedding took place.

Marriage to Saskia opens the way for the artist to high society. The burgomaster father left his favorite a colossal inheritance: 40,000 florins. Even on a small part of this amount one could live comfortably for many, many years.

The happy and loving couple began to arrange a common home. Soon it 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 and paid for the most exquisite toilets. And, of course, I tried to capture my favorite image. Rembrandt, one might say, became a chronicler of his family life. In the first days of the couple's honeymoon, the famous "Self-portrait with Saskia on her lap" was painted.

In 1635, the family's first son was born, but he did not live very long, and this became a terrible blow for the young mother.

For a long time she did not want to part with her son’s body, she drove everyone away from her, without letting go of the dead child. The unfortunate mother walked with him around the house, rocking him and calling him all the tender names that she and her husband called Rembrantus in the first happy days.

Rembrandt realized that, with the exception of hours spent at his easel, he could only live near Saskia. Only with her does he feel human: love is the source of life, and he loves only Saskia, and no one else.

After the death of Rembrantus, Saskia lost children at birth twice more. Only the fourth child, Titus, born in 1641, was able to survive the difficult years of infancy. The boy was named by this name in memory of the late Titia, Saskia's sister.

However, constant labor had a detrimental effect on Saskia's health. The appearance of purely landscape images by the artist in the late 1630s is sometimes explained by the fact that at that time, due to the illness of his wife, Rembrandt spent a lot of time outside the city with her. The artist painted relatively few portraits in the 1640s.

Saskia van Uylenburgh died in 1642. She was only thirty years old. In the coffin she looked alive...

At this time, Rembrandt was working on the famous painting “The Night Watch”.

Rembrandt House Museum

Art Museum on Jodenbreestraat in the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam. The museum opened in 1911 in the house that Rembrandt purchased at the height of his fame in 1639 and lived in until his bankruptcy in 1656.

For almost 20 years of his life (from 1639 to 1658) on the Jodenbrestraat street, Rembrandt managed to create many beautiful works, become famous, collect a unique collection of paintings and rarities from all over the world, acquire students, squander the fortune of his first wife, lose his main customers, incur huge debts and put the house under the hammer.

Rembrandt also had to sell off most of his luxurious collection of paintings and antiques, including works by great European artists, Roman busts of emperors, and even Japanese battle armor, and move to a more modest home. Having outlived both wives and even his own son, Rembrandt died in poverty and loneliness.

Two and a half centuries later, in 1911, by order of Queen 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 in the ground 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 when all of the artist’s property was sold at auction, and drawings by the artist himself, in which he depicted his home.

Here you can see his personal belongings, furniture from the 17th century and other interesting exhibits, such as a beautiful etching press 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 drawings by Rembrandt on a corresponding theme: a woman crouching in the bushes and a man standing in a pose characteristic of this establishment.

Rembrandt - everything you need to know about the famous Dutch artist updated: November 13, 2017 by: website

Most of the female images on Rembrandt’s canvases from 1934-1942 were painted from the artist’s beloved wife, Saskia van Uylenburch. In the image of the ancient goddess of spring Flora, the master depicted Saskia three times - the portrait we are considering was created in the year of their wedding - it is clear to the naked eye that Rembrandt idolized his wife, admired her and put all his tenderness into the painting.

Saskia was 22 years old at the time of her marriage; at 17 she was left an orphan. An incident brought her together with her future husband - she came to Amsterdam to visit her cousin, the wife of the preacher Johann Cornelis Silvius, who knew Rembrandt. The wedding took place on June 10, 1634. In 1942 - just a year after the birth of the long-awaited son Titus - Saskia passed away.

Flora-Saskia is the embodiment of youth, freshness and chastity; there is so much charming shyness and girlish freshness in her appearance. Rembrandt skillfully combined pastoral and historical portraits in this painting. Of the three Floras painted with his wife (the other two paintings were created in 1935 and 1941), the first most refers to antiquity, the other two portraits hint at myth only in subtle details.

2. "Danae" (1633-1647). Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Even if you know nothing about Rembrandt and are not interested in painting at all, this painting is definitely familiar to you. The canvas, stored in the St. Petersburg Hermitage, was almost lost forever in 1985 due to a vandal who doused it with sulfuric acid and then cut the canvas with a knife.
The painting, which depicts a naked girl lying on a bed in the rays of unearthly light, was painted by Rembrandt for his home - the theme was the famous ancient Greek myth about the beautiful Danae, the future mother of the winner Medusa Perseus, and Zeus the Thunderer. The very appearance of Danae posed a riddle to creativity researchers, which was only recently solved: it is known that Rembrandt’s model was his wife Saskia van Uylenburch, but the Danae that has come down to us does not at all resemble the artist’s wife. An X-ray study of the canvas showed that Rembrandt partially rewrote Danae's face after the death of his wife - and made it similar to the face of his second lover, the nanny of his son Titus, Gertje Dirks. Cupid hovering over Danae also initially looked different - the winged god laughed, but in the final version there was suffering frozen on his face.
After the attack on the painting in 1985, it took 12 years to restore it. The loss of painting was 27%; the best masters worked on restoring Rembrandt’s masterpiece - but there were no guarantees of success. Fortunately, the canvas was saved; now the painting is reliably protected by armored glass.

3. "Night Watch", (1642). Rijksmuseum - National Museum of Amsterdam

The colossal, almost four-meter canvas became truly fatal in the career of its creator. The correct title of the painting is “Performance of the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Kok and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” It became the “Night Watch” after art historians discovered it, forgotten for two centuries. It was decided that the painting depicted musketeers during a night service - and only after restoration it became clear that under the layer of soot there was a completely different original coloring - the shadows speak eloquently about this - the action on the canvas takes place around 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
The work was commissioned by Rembrandt from the Shooting Society, a civil militia unit of the Netherlands. A group portrait of six companies was to decorate the new building of the society - Rembrandt was asked to paint the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Cock. The artist was expected to do a traditional ceremonial portrait - all the characters in a row - but he decided to depict the musketeers in motion. The bold composition, where each figure is as dynamic as possible, did not find understanding among the customer - dissatisfaction was caused by the fact that some of those depicted were clearly visible, while others were in the background. "The Night Watch" literally broke Rembrandt's career - it was after this painting that regular rich clients turned away from the painter, and his painting style changed radically.
By the way, the fate of this painting is no less tragic than that of “Danae”. To begin with, in the 18th century it was completely barbarically cut off to fit into the new hall of the Shooting Society. So the musketeers Jacob Dirksen de Roy and Jan Brugman disappeared from the picture. Fortunately, a copy of the original painting has been preserved. “Night Watch” was attacked by vandals three times: the first time a large piece of canvas was cut out, the second time the painting was stabbed 10 times, and the third time it was doused with sulfuric acid.
Now the canvas is kept in the Rijksmuseum - the National Museum of Amsterdam. You can look at this picture for many hours - all the characters are depicted in such detail on the huge canvas, both “custom-made” (actually, there are 18 musketeers) and those added by Rembrandt at his own discretion (16 figures, the most mysterious one is the little girl in the place of the “golden sections" of the painting)

4. “The Prodigal Son in the Tavern” (1635 (1635). Dresden Gallery

This self-portrait of the artist with his beloved wife Saskia on his lap is kept in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden (also known as the Dresden Gallery). There is no doubt that the artist painted this picture being absolutely happy. It was during this period of his life that Rembrandt worked hard and fruitfully, was popular, received high fees for his works, and among his customers were famous and wealthy people. The master reworked the plot from the Gospel of Luke in the spirit of the times - the prodigal son is dressed in a camisole and a wide-brimmed hat with a feather, the harlot on his lap is also dressed in the fashion of that time. By the way, this is the only painting of a self-portrait of the artist together with his wife - Rembrandt made another image of himself and Saskia in the same pictorial space using the engraving technique in 1638. Despite the overall cheerful tone of the picture, the author did not forget to remind you that sooner or later you will have to pay for everything in this life - this is eloquently evidenced by the slate board in the background, where very soon the reveler will be billed. Could Rembrandt have guessed how big his own retribution for his talent would be?

5. "The Return of the Prodigal Son" (1666-1669). State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

This is Rembrandt's largest painting on a religious theme. The semantic center of the picture is strongly shifted to the side, the main figures are highlighted with light, the remaining characters are covered in shadow, which makes it impossible to make a mistake when reading what is depicted. By the way, all of Rembrandt’s paintings are united by one important detail - despite the general clarity of the main plot, each painting contains mysteries that art historians are unable to solve. Like the girl from The Night's Watch, Return of the Prodigal Son features characters shrouded in mystery. There are four of them - someone conventionally calls them “brothers and sisters” of the main character. Some researchers interpret the female figure behind the column as a second, obedient son - although traditionally this role is assigned to the man in the foreground. This man, bearded, with a staff in his hands, raises no less questions - in the Gospel of Luke, the dean's brother came running to meet the prodigal relative straight from the field, but here he is depicted rather as a noble wanderer, perhaps even the Eternal Jew. By the way, it is possible that Rembrandt depicted himself this way - self-portraits, as you know, are not uncommon in his paintings.

On July 15, 1606, the greatest Dutch painter, Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, was born.
The future reformer of fine arts was born into the family of a wealthy miller in Leiden. The boy showed an interest in painting from early childhood, so at the age of 13 he was apprenticed to the Leiden artist Jacob van Swanenburch. Rembrandt later studied with the Amsterdam painter Pieter Lastman, who specialized in historical, mythological and biblical subjects.

Already in 1627, Rembrandt managed to open his own workshop with his friend Jan Lievens - the young painter, who was barely 20 years old, began to recruit students himself.

Already in Rembrandt's early works, a special pictorial style is clearly visible, beginning to take shape - the artist strives to paint his characters as emotionally as possible, literally every centimeter of the canvas is filled with drama. At the very beginning of his journey, the future unsurpassed master of working with chiaroscuro realized the power of this technique for conveying emotions.

In 1631, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam, where he was greeted extremely enthusiastically; art connoisseurs compared the young artist’s painting style with the works of Rubens himself - by the way, Rembrandt was happy to take cues from much of this artist’s aesthetics.

The period of work in the Dutch capital became a landmark for the portrait genre in Rembrandt’s work - it was here that the master painted many studies of female and male heads, carefully working out every detail, comprehending all the subtleties of facial expressions of the human face. The artist paints wealthy townspeople - his fame spreads quickly and becomes the key to commercial success - and also works a lot on self-portraits.

Rembrandt's fate - both personal and creative - was not easy. Early favored by fame and success, the talented painter also suddenly lost rich clients who failed to realize the revolutionary courage of his works. Rembrandt's legacy was truly appreciated only two centuries later - in the 19th century, realist artists were inspired by the paintings of this master, one of the brightest representatives of the golden age of Dutch painting.

Self-portrait at the age of 54 - Rembrandt. 1660. Oil on canvas. 80.3x67.3. Metropolitan Museum of Art

His paintings can be seen in many museums around the world, today he is known to every person on Earth. Fear and joy, surprise and indignation are reflected so naturally in his works that it is impossible not to believe them. Wild popularity, tragic fate and sad decline of life still remain a reason for gossip and philosophical reasoning.

Youth

The artist Rembrandt was born into a baker's family in 1606 in the Dutch city of Leiden, located on the banks of the Rhine. Very early he felt artistic talent. After studying at home for several years, the young man went to Amsterdam to take lessons from the famous painter Lastman. The training did not last long, and at the age of 19 Rembrandt returned back to Leiden. At this time, he painted portraits of his family and friends, and also paid great attention to self-portraits. Many of the author’s works have survived to this day, where he depicts himself in various images.

Confession

One day, an aspiring artist receives an excellent order from the Guild of Surgeons. This is how the work “Anatomy Lesson” appears. The painting brings Rembrandt recognition. He immediately receives more than fifty orders for portraits of nobles and the Amsterdam nobility. Simultaneously with the popularity, the master’s well-being also grows. He begins collecting antiques and period costumes. He buys a luxurious home, which he fills with exquisite antique furniture and art objects.

Saskia

At the age of 28, Rembrandt, whose paintings were becoming increasingly popular, married a rich girl, Saskia. He married for love and not only saved, but also increased the capital of his beloved. Rembrandt idolized his wife, often depicting her in various ways in his works. One of the artist's most famous paintings, Self-Portrait with Saskia, shows a happy Rembrandt with his young wife. At the same time, the artist received an order for a series of works with a biblical plot. This is how Rembrandt’s paintings with the titles “The Sacrifice of Abraham” and “The Feast of Belshazzar” appear. One of the master’s most famous works, “Danae,” also dates back to this period. The painting was rewritten by the artist several times and has several original versions.

Sunset of life

The artist's carefree time did not last long. Not everyone liked Rembrandt's manner of depicting a person as he is. After the painting “Night Watch” was painted, an incredible scandal broke out. Strangers appeared on the canvas. Perhaps the reason was that in the midst of work, his beloved Saskia dies of tuberculosis. In the picture, along with the figures of the archers, you can see the silhouette of a girl, so reminiscent of the master’s wife. The author's popularity begins to decline. There are almost no new orders. Having lost his home and all his property, Rembrandt, whose paintings take on a new, philosophical meaning, begins to depict ordinary people and his loved ones. He writes a lot about his son, as well as the people who surround him in the last years of his life. At this time, Rembrandt's paintings with the titles “Portrait of an Old Man in Red”, “Portrait of the Son of Titus Reading” and other works were born. At the end of his life, another masterpiece appears from the master’s pen - “The Return of the Prodigal Son.” In this painting, the master depicts himself as an eternal wanderer who is forced to wander along the difficult roads of changing fame. In 1969, having buried his son and his bride, Rembrandt himself dies, forever leaving his creative mark on this world. Today, the artist’s paintings occupy a place of honor in any major museum in the world.

The most Rembrandt. "Anatomy Lesson" (1632)

This painting is the first major commission Rembrandt received after his move to Amsterdam. The canvas depicts the autopsy performed by Dr. Tulp. The doctor holds the tendons of his hands with forceps, showing his students how the fingers bend. Such group portraits were very popular among doctors’ guilds at that time. True, as a rule, group members posed for them, sitting in a row. Rembrandt, whose paintings were distinguished by naturalness and realism, depicted students in a close circle, listening carefully to the words of Doctor Tulp. Pale faces and the corpse itself stand out as bright light spots against the gloomy and dark background of the picture. The work brought Rembrandt his first popularity, after which orders rained down on the author with incredible speed.

"Self-Portrait with Saskia" (1635)

Throughout his life, Rembrandt painted an incredible number of self-portraits. This painting is one of the most famous. This depicts the artist’s rejoicing at the happiness of owning his beloved. The emotional state of the painter is reflected in the open gaze of the characters, in the radiant face of Rembrandt, as if choking with happiness and well-being. However, there is also a hidden provocation hidden in the portrait: after all, the artist portrays himself in the image of that same “prodigal son” feasting with an ordinary courtesan. How very different the “prodigal son” in this self-portrait is from the one the audience knows from the painting of the same name!

"Danae" (1636)

The most famous of Rembrandt's paintings. It was written based on the myth of Perseus' mother, Danaë. According to legend, the girl’s father found out that he would die from his own daughter’s son, and imprisoned her in a dungeon. Zeus entered the prisoner in the form of a rain of gold, after which Perseus was born. The painting attracts with its unusual coloring, characteristic of the artist’s work. In the center is a naked woman, whose body is illuminated by bright sunlight. In this image, Rembrandt, whose paintings often depict people close to him, captured the image of his beloved wife Saskia. The image of the angel was added after the death of his wife. It seems that he is always crying for the fate of the deceased. Rembrandt spent a long time rewriting his favorite creation, changing the mood of the painting in accordance with his feelings. The combination of shimmering tones and golden highlights amazes with its sophistication and splendor.

The fate of the painting is surprising and dramatic, as is the life story of the artist himself. After the death of the author, the masterpiece changed many owners. After the acquisition of the work by Catherine II, “Danae” took pride of place in the famous Hermitage collection. In 1985, an unpleasant incident occurred at the museum, which almost deprived the world of the opportunity to contemplate Rembrandt’s creation. One madman walked up to the painting and threw acid on it. The paint immediately began to bubble. But even this was not enough for the attacker: he managed to make a couple of cuts on the canvas with a knife before he was stopped. Damage affected about 30% of the masterpiece. The maniac turned out to be a certain Bronius Maigis, who later spent 6 years in a psychiatric clinic. The restoration of the painting lasted 12 years. Now it is on display in the Hermitage, protecting the masterpiece from vandals. Another interesting fact. The work of art and its reproductions are often featured in films. For example, "Danae" appears in the series "Gangster Petersburg" as Rembrandt's painting "Aegina".

"Night Watch" (1642)

The painting was commissioned from Rembrandt by the head of an infantry division. The canvas depicts a company of militia that goes on a campaign. Musketeers, encouraged by the beating of drums, are depicted alongside soldiers of various social status and ages, ready for battle. All of them are united by masculinity and patriotic impulse. The work is distinguished by its meticulousness in drawing all the images and details. Rembrandt's painting “The Night Watch” evokes in viewers viewing it a complete sense of the reality of everything that is happening. The author tried not only to show the external features of all the characters, but also to reveal the inner world of each soldier. The apotheosis of the picture is the triumphal arch - a symbol of past successes and a harbinger of a new glorious victory. With the help of colorful colors (gold, black and yellow), the viewer reveals the energy, drama and solemnity of the mood of the military. The character and fate of each character are readable thanks to the brush of a famous artist.

There are many versions about the girl depicted almost in the center of the picture. She differs from everyone else with her bright colors and angelic appearance. Perhaps this is some kind of militia mascot. According to another version, the girl is the image of the author’s beloved wife, who left for another world in the midst of painting. As you know, the work was not to the liking of the customers. After they bought the painting, they barbarously cut the canvas and hung it in the banquet hall.

"The Return of the Prodigal Son" (1666-1669)

Rembrandt's painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son” is one of the most striking peaks of the famous artist’s work. It was written in the last years of the master’s life. This is the time when he was very old and weak, in need and hungry. The theme of the prodigal son has repeatedly appeared in the artist’s work. This work is a conclusion, a summing up of the many years of creative wanderings of the famous author. The painting radiates all the warmth and depth of Rembrandt's palette. Shimmering colors and graceful play of light and shadow highlight the images of the main characters. The appearance of the venerable old man and his prodigal son expresses a whole range of different feelings: repentance and love, mercy and the bitterness of belated insight. According to art critics, “The Return” revealed all the psychological talent of the painter. He put all his accumulated creative experience, all his passion, all his inspiration into his brainchild.

Conclusion

It is difficult to even imagine how Rembrandt depicted those presented in this article. How many years have passed since their creation, how much soot from tallow candles has covered them over three centuries of history! We can only guess what they looked like on their birthdays. Meanwhile, to this day, millions of fans of the famous painter’s talent in different museums around the world come to look at his masterpieces.