Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born July 15, 1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands. His father
worked at a mill, as did many Dutchmen, but wanted his son to work in an academic profession.
However, Rembrandt left his studies at the University of Leiden in order to study painting.
His work had become well known by 1631 and so he left his successful Leiden studio for
Amsterdam. After this he became Holland's premier painter. As a well-known painter, many of his
commissions involved portraits. He was an upper class citizen, unlike many artists, and married
Saskia van Uylenburgh, who would become one of the main subjects of his works. He known for
his landscape paintings as well, and he was one of the more prominent etchers of the time. In fact,
one source says that he ranks "among the foremost of all time" for his etchings. When he had no
other subjects to paint, he created self-portraits, the number of which is estimated at between 50
and 60.
In his early days in Leiden many of his works showed the lines, light and shade, and color of
everyday people. By 1634 his works were starting to show strong lighting effects. But in 1636, his
works displayed quieter, more reflective scenes, with warmer colors. After his wife's death in 1642
and the deaths of three children in infancy, he painted his most famous work, The Night Watch. In
it, a group of city guardsmen await the command to fall in line. Unlike most paintings, he shows
each guardsmen the care and detail that he would put into a single portrait, but it seems that the
figures of the men are not as interesting as the whole painting, which shows brilliant color, much
movement, and bright light.
Rembrandt, as an upper class citizen, enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. He bought many paintings
from other artists. However, by the 1650s he was living beyond his means and thus his house and
goods had to be auctioned off in order to pay his debts. He had fewer commissions by that time,
but his financial status was far from intolerable. He died October 4, 1669, in Amsterdam.
While no one is quite sure how many works he made, the current estimate is 2,300. This breaks
down into 600 paintings, 300 etchings, and 1,400 drawings. As Dutch painter Jozef Israels said,
Rembrandt was truly "the true type of artist, free, untrammeled, by traditions."
In Leyden, Holland, the year of 1606, the renowned artist known as Rembrandt van Rign was
born. At age seven he began attending grammar school where he studied the classics, Latin,
possibly Hebrew, and the Bible. Seven years later Rembrandt's father made plans for sending him
to a university. Rembrandt, whose only desire was to paint, refused. From the years 1620 to 1623,
Rembrandt studied in Amsterdam under Pieter Lastman. It his Lastman who probably first
exposed Rembrandt to Renaissance painting and Christianity as a major theme. This style of
painting Christian topics though, was more one of expressing fantastic stories, than teaching the
Bible. By age nineteen, Rembrandt began to search for his own style. For the next seven years he
painted in a grandiose and lucid technique, painting the stories of Samson, David and Goliath,
Judas, and Saint Paul. These works would soon bring him much fame and wealth, but only for as
long as he was willing to refrain from the avant-garde.
Throughout his career, Rembrandt van Rign went from Amsterdam's famous painter enjoying
great wealth, to the impecunious, prodigal son awaiting forgiveness. Rembrandt's life was a tragic
one full of misfortune, loss and grief, leading him to rely greatly on religious solace. No matter
what his social status, fortune or demeanor, Rembrandt always stayed near to his faith in the Bible
and its teachings. Though he was never much a man of chastity or religious practice, his faith in
Christianity was unwavering. The purpose of this paper is to study Rembrandt the artist, how he
was affected by social life and, more pointedly, his religious beliefs. It is not certain whether
Rembrandt ever belonged to any particular church, though many believe he may have been a
Mennonite for a short period. What is known for certain though, is that just prior to his death in
1669, the only possession of a then destitute Rembrandt consisted of a single book: the Holy
Bible.
In 1632, at age 26, Rembrandt left Leyden to live in Amsterdam, the center of intellectual life in
Holland. Two years later he married Saskia van Uylenburch who was from a prestigious family.
The Rembrandt of this time was a man of pleasure and passion, whose artwork had made him a
very popular painter and quite rich. His great joy over his wealth and popularity can be seen in
paintings such as Rembrandt & Saskia. Rembrandt's style at this point combined a fluid, naturalist
technique with baroque gesturing. During this period in his life, Rembrandt became a very large
spender, placing large bets and buying most any piece of art he saw. The method he used in
buying a painting was to make his first bid so outrageously high that the other bidders would not
even bother to compete for the piece.
While other artists in Holland were painting landscapes and social life, Rembrandt continued to
focus on the stories of the Bible. Even though much of his subject matter dealt with the Bible
though, Rembrandt was not a true Biblical painter. Paintings like The Raising of Lazarus (1632)
depicted Christ as if he were more a sorcerer than the Son of God. The influences of Jan Sanders
van Hemessen (1500-1566) and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573-1610) are most
evident in Rembrandt's The Calling of St. Matthew, which uses the method of making biblical
scenes worldly and common. The influence of Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) can be seen in
Supper at Emmaus (1629). The use of light to create depth and shadow gives the painting a
theatrical aspect common in Rembrandt's work at this time.
His early years in Amsterdam were ones of fame and fortune, but Rembrandt was a man who kept
to himself, staying at home with his wife Saskia and constantly developing his work. In 1641, after
several miscarriages, Saskia gave birth to their son Titus. Despite Rembrandt's rather esteemed
social stature, he remained the recluse, often using Saskia and Titus as models for his paintings. At
this time Rembrandt's work caught the interest of Prince Henry Frederick, who commissioned
Rembrandt to produce a series of paintings, but Rembrandt was not a man to paint as others told
him and soon his style would change.
In 1642, after less than eight years of marriage and only a year after the birth of their son, Saskia
died, marking the beginning of Rembrandt's years of grief and loneliness. That same year he hired
a widowed housemaid, Geertghe Dircx, who would soon become very close to him. At this time in
his life, it is believed that Rembrandt may have joined the Mennonite church, but he was probably
later kicked out for his then degrading status, if not for his relationship with Geertghe. In 1649
Rembrandt dismissed Geertghe; she died a year later in a mad house.
During the years of 1642 through 1648, Rembrandt slowly changed his artwork to a style devoted
entirely to inducing spirituality. When comparing Supper at Emmaus (1648) to its 1629
counterpart, the drastic change in technique is quite evident. Rembrandt dropped the theatrical
quality in his use of layout and lighting; depicting Christ head on, under normal lighting. Christ is
placed in the center beneath an arch, giving the painting a symmetrical layout. As Rembrandt
became more dejected in life, he worked harder at striving to depict biblical scenes that were pure
and of the utmost holiness. His painting Night Watch is noted for its excellent use of chiaroscuro.
The eyes are deep and sorrowful and the expression seems to be that of triumph over great
inner-struggle. It is believed that during this time Rembrandt may have been subject to the
Copernican revolution, and surely this art piece seems to show that Rembrandt was reclaiming his
solitude. Unfortunately, his drastic change in style cost him his popularity, which of course also
meant his income.
In the early Renaissance, art was a way to teach the Bible to those who could not read. Since
Christianity spread most quickly among the lower class, who were illiterate, this was especially
important. As the years past though, literacy increased and art became less biblical. Calvinism had
some effect on this because there was a fear of idol worship and much art was destroyed as a
result. The Protestant Reformation did not condemn artwork, but instead placed its emphasis on
Bible study. The year 1648 was one of victory over Spain and so many artists in Holland based
their artwork on this subject. Rembrandt was still focusing on biblical scenes, becoming truer to
the spiritual aspects to be found. His artwork was no longer based on the Renaissance idea of
humanism and the glory of man, but instead depicted man as humble before God.
Many believe that Rembrandt may have been the most influenced of all artist by the Protestant
Reformation. The Reformation was undoubtedly compatible to Rembrandt's newly found homage
to God's grace and his rejection of human glory and beauty. Rembrandt was also very fond of the
Bible. His mother read the Bible to him every day, and it's believed that many of Rembrandt's
paintings depicting a woman reading the Bible are probably of his mother. Rembrandt himself,
unlike most artist of the time, actually read the whole Bible and painted many different stories as
compared to the same four to five repeated by artists such as Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) and
Peter Paul Rubens. Unfortunately, Rembrandt's prestige continued to decline despite his spiritual
enlightenment.
In 1651 Rembrandt met Hendrickje Stoffles, but was unable to marry her because of Saskia's will.
He had already spent the inherited money, which was only his if he never remarried, and by this
point Rembrandt was very poor due to his prior life of frivolous spending. A year later Hendrickje
gave birth to their daughter Cornelia. This combined with Hendickje's four appearances before the
church council for living in sin, completely ravished any esteem society had once held for him.
Four years later Rembrandt was forced into bankruptcy and had to sell all of his acquired
paintings. During these last years in his life, Rembrandt seemed to focus on themes dealing with
the mercies of God. From 1656 to 1561 he produced eight paintings of Christ as Gethsemene, as
compared to one in the years prior. Rembrandt never painted a single Last Judgment, but instead
painted stories dealing with the themes of having a second chance such as Raising of Lazarus and
Prodigal Son. It seemed as if these topics of humanity and forgiveness were ones Rembrandt
hoped to have for himself. In 1662 Hendrickje died. Titus died in 1668, less than a year after
being married. During this time Rembrandt lived in virtual seclusion, rarely leaving his home. The
last piece Rembrandt would paint before his death in 1669 was The Return of the Prodigal Son.
Rembrandt died in the service of a moneylender; his only procession was a Bible. Holland's
greatest painter was ironically given the modest burial of a peasant.
Rembrandt van Rign evolved from paintings of his merry self wearing a red velvet hat - thrusting
forth a glass of wine, to the stoic Bible scenes reminiscent of Michelangelo's later work. Though
not a man of religious practice, he was a man of great faith. Rembrandt was willing to put his
beliefs before material goods, social status, and wealth. The influence of religious reformation and
his tragic social life sent Rembrandt's work in a direction that, like many great artists, caused him
to be scorned by his own generation, but would later be appreciated and studied forever.
A contemporary of Frans Hals named Rembrandt Van Rijn was the most innovative, prolific and
famous of the Dutch Baroque artists. Known simply as "Rembrandt", the artists is considered to
be one of the greatest painters in the history of Western art. Rembrandt was greatly influenced by
the ideals of the Protestant Reformation as well as the style of the great masters of Catholic Italy
and Flanders. He studied the work of the Venetians, Caravaggio and Rubens. He is regarded as
one of the greatest artists in the history of Western art not only for his extraordinary painting
technique, but also for his innovative ability to capture the private individual and to humanize
religion. Rembrandt painted many subjects including genre scenes and biblical stories.
However, he is perhaps best remembered as a master portraitist and his greatest contribution to the
medium of painting was his innovations in representing light. Rembrandt's mature painting style
can be characterized as: refining light and shade into he finer nuances until they become one.
Although definitely influenced by tenebrism, Rembrandt's lighting technique is less exact and
theatrical than Caravaggio's. His is a more gradual, natural approach to representing light, taking
into consideration the way our eye views light and shadow. Rembrandt captures the way light
responds to an object naturally.
We will end our discussion of Rembrandt by looking at an example of a biblical subject done in
the graphic medium of etching. Rembrandt was not only a talented painter, but a gifted graphic
artist as well. Prints by Rembrandt such as "Christ with the Sick around Him, Receiving the
Children" from 1649 often commanded high sums and were very popular with the Dutch. In fact
this work was nicknamed the "Hundred Guilder Print" after it fetched that sum, which was an
extremely extravagant price to pay in 1649. Rembrandt's biblical scene depicts Christ ministering
to the sick and orphaned. The simple, meditative presentation of calm figures in diffused light
couldn't be more different from the emotionally charged, sharply lit, theatrical scenes of saints by
the masters of the Italian and Flemish Baroque. The stillness of the scene encourages the viewer
meditate and look inward, formulating their own relationship with the work and its message. This
image is less about the power of the church and more about the humanity and humility of Christ.
Rembrandt demonstrates his ability to render subtle contrasts of light and shade, even in the
delicate medium of etching. He also demonstrates a unique sensitivity to the symbolic nature of
light. Rembrandt's ability to convey emotion or mood through light is a hallmark trait of his style,
and a technique adapted by future artists, and filmmakers.
One of Bernini's greatest works can be found at the Cornaro Chapel, inside the church of Santa
Maria della Vittoria in Rome. Bernini worked on this private religious commission between 1645
and 1652. The Cornaros were a wealthy family who asked Bernini to create a sculpture for their
private family chapel in their local parish church. The work of art that Bernini gave them was
much more than a mere sculpture, rather, it was a multi-media piece that included sculpture,
architecture, painting and stained glass, the focal point of which was the dramatic representation
of the "Ecstasy of St. Theresa." The German term for a "total work of art" that employs more than
one medium such as this is known as a "Gesamtkunstwerk." Bernini created a total environment
and setting for the subject matter.
On either side of the sculpture the artist carved relief sculptures in polychromatic marble depicting
the male members of the Cornaro family gazing down at the figure of St. Theresa above the altar.
The main sculptural group of St. Theresa and an angel is presented within an architectural setting
reminiscent of a stage. Above the figures is a hidden light source that enhances the glimmering
gilded rays of light that rain down on the pair.
"Bernini was a sculptor, painter and architect and a formative influence as an outstanding
exponent of the Italian Baroque. He was an exceptional portrait artist and owes to his father his
accomplished techniques in the handling of marble and also an impressive list of patrons that
included the Borghese and the Barbarini families. Bernini originally worked in the Late Mannerist
tradition but rejected the contrived tendencies of this style. By 1624 he had adopted an expression
that was passionate and full of emotional and psychological energy. His figures are caught in a
transient moment from a single viewpoint, bursting into the spectator's space. In 1644 such
interpretation reaches maturity in his rendition of the vision and Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. The
Spanish nun swoons in heavenly rapture at the point of an angel's arrow. The work is a prime
example of Bernini's vision of a decorative whole combining different materials and colours
within an architectural space. A succession of powerful patrons in Rome and in Paris assured his
reputation as an entrepreneurial artist who captured the spirit of the Counter-Reformation. His
extreme and intense characterizations have fallen in and out of favor but his Baroque legacy
remains intact."