There is no more powerful resource to tell life than art. The characters, the settings, each gesture and each brushstroke hide an unprecedented detail of the artist and his way of expressing himself and seeing the world.. One of the best artists of all time is the wonderful Rembrandt, who dedicated himself body and soul to giving life to the protagonists and settings of his paintings. Today in Supercurioso we want to guide you on a brief tour of 5 of Rembrandt’s best works, so that you can meet one of the painting geniuses of the Baroque era.. Let the tour begin!
Who was Rembrandt?
This artist was born in 1606 in a small province called Leiden, belonging to the Netherlands. On his 25th birthday he moved to Amsterdam to take advantage of the nascent art market that was flourishing there and thus be able to establish a career as a famous artist. Rembrandt undoubtedly achieved his goal as he is considered a leading artist of the 17th century and his name still lives on. Although he lived during the Baroque era, various critics have regarded him as a modern artistbecause despite the many movements typical of his time, Rembrandt always followed his own methods and techniques.
5 Rembrandt works that will fascinate you
A differential factor of this artist is that, despite living in a Protestant country like the Netherlands, several of his works worshiped biblical imagessomething that caused a furor and a strong impact on its viewers. He was also noted for his use of etching (an engraving technique) and for his more than 100 self-portraits, a fact that leaves us speechless and arouses our curiosity about this great painter.
Among Rembrandt’s painting we see oil paintings, engravings, drawings and it is typical to see dramatic, emotional and highly detailed scenes, because the painter had a tragic personal life. Three of his four children died shortly after birth and in 1642, Saskia, his wife, also died, who helped him establish relationships with several renowned artists.
1. The Night Watch (1642)
We begin our tour with one of Rembrandt’s best-known works. In this the portraits of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Williem Ruytemburch stand out. Each of those portrayed had to pay a considerable sum of money to appear in the painting. But the two central figures are said to have paid even more for their privileged position in the painting.
The light that is seen may seem somewhat curious, since it is supposed to be a night round of a military squad, but at the same time the painting has parts bathed in daylight. It is said that this curious fact was due to a misinterpretation in the title of the work, because when this painting by Rembrandt was found it was so deteriorated and darkened by the oxidation of the varnish that the figures were almost indistinguishable, as if it were a scene. at night. But, in 1947 a restoration was made where it was verified that the scene took place during the day.
2. Anatomy lesson by Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632)
Back then practical anatomy lessons were rare and exclusive, if you wanted to attend you had to pay a price. It is precisely this scene that Rembrandt portrays, when the famous and first anatomist, Dr. Tulp, gave a lecture in which he would dissect a corpse that, incidentally, belonged to a thief who had been hanged that same afternoon for having stolen a tunica. Due to the unusual nature of the event, it was a great honor for Rembrandt to receive this commission. Although more doctors and people attended the lesson, only those who were able to pay to be portrayed appear.
On the other hand, although Rembrandt was a great portrait painter, this It was the first time that a collective portrait appeared among Rembrandt’s works. This was quite a challenge, but Rembrandt accomplished it by portraying each individual looking in different directions, but not appearing to be paying attention. In addition, the background is simple so as not to distract the gaze. On the other hand, the black background and dress contribute to giving this gloomy sensation, which was recurrent in the painter’s works.
3. Danae (1636)
This work by Rembrandt is the interpretation of the story of the beautiful Danae. According to Greek mythology, Danae was the daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos, who locked her in a tower to prevent her from becoming pregnant and being killed by her grandson, as the oracle’s prophecy had decreed. Still, fate is inevitable as Zeus falls in love with her. He slipped into the tower in the form of gold dust and from that union Perseus was born.
If you look carefully, in the background of the painting you can see the old woman who was in charge of taking care of Dánae and who came quickly when she heard strange noises. As was common at that time and in Rembrandt, The main woman in the work presents harmonious and beautiful proportions, complying with the beauty canons of that time. For its part, the luxury and details of the bed give a great feeling of wealth and demonstrate the high quality of Rembrandt’s works.
Besides, the different but natural expressions of the old woman and Danae demonstrate the attempt to understand human nature that Rembrandt captured in his works.
Unfortunately, in 1985 the painting was fatefully lost. Broinos Maigas, entered the museum, evading security, with a knife and a bottle of acid. He slashed the figure of Danae and then doused it with acid. The result was a dark mass. The restoration took twelve years, until 1977 it was exhibited again.
4. The Return of the Prodigal Son (1662-1669), Rembrandt’s penultimate work
This work by Rembrandt was conceived in the last stage of his life. The artist died in 1669 but before passing away, he finished this work and his last painting: the Jewish bride. The painter portrays the well-known parable of the prodigal son, with which he continues to show us his talent and his vision of life. After having gone through several dramatic and sad episodes, Rembrandt plays with chiaroscuro to give his works a tragic tone, as seen in the light that falls on the blind father.
5. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633), Rembrandt’s work stolen
This is probably the most outstanding Rembrandt painting among his works, since it has a curious anecdote. This Rembrandt work was on display at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston when it was stolen in March 1990. The thieves disguised themselves as policemen and took 13 paintings. This is considered the biggest theft in art history and it is still unsolved.
Rembrandt’s painting shows one of Jesus’ first miracles, when he calmed the waters of the Sea of Galilee in the midst of a storm. This work also shows the technique of light-dark when showing the figure of Jesus illuminated and serene, compared to the sea that is dark and stormy. We can also see his tendency towards human nature, by portraying different emotions in all the apostles. Besides, Rembrandt takes a self-portrait in this work, he is the one holding a rope and looking towards the public.
So far this tour of the works of Rembrandt goes. Tell us if you knew the work of this painter. And, if you are passionate about art, here we leave you contemporary artists that you should know, do not miss these phrases of painters Share your opinions that we will be happy to read you!