Rembrandt

Author: Hou Wenjuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: I don’t want to blame those people, because I’ve heard that people accuse me of being too proud or arrogant and unwilling to change my painting methods. In fact, it’s not that I’m too proud or arrogant—I just can’t change—this is the whole truth. — Rembrandt
Rembrandt (1606–1669) was the most outstanding realist painter of 17th-century, and also a master who pioneered a new realm in 17th-century European painting. He achieved great success in portraiture, history painting, genre painting, and landscape painting. Rembrandt absorbed and developed the chiaroscuro technique of the Italian painter Caravaggio, forming his own unique style. In portraiture and figure composition, he skillfully summarized the character traits of figures with a broad approach, highlighted the theme with focused lighting and transparent shadows, and used brushwork to express texture. He pushed the expressiveness of oil painting to an unprecedented level. It wasn’t until the 19th century that Rembrandt’s art was truly understood and recognized, and it had a profound impact on modern European painting. His representative works include oil paintings such as The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, The Night Watch, and The Council of the Guild of St. Luke, as well as etchings like Three Trees.
This book introduces the life journey and artistic creation of the famous Dutch painter Rembrandt in simple and accessible language. In life, after experiencing a brief period of happiness, he suffered great blows such as the loss of his wife and children, and his financial situation grew increasingly impoverished. In artistic creation, his artistic concepts and style were not accepted or appreciated by the world, leading to repeated setbacks in reality. Despite this, Rembrandt did not succumb to fate and persistently adhered to his own creative style, continuously exploring until he became a master of the art.
This book includes representative works of Rembrandt and their analyses and critiques, introducing the background, style, and artistic characteristics of these works, which can help readers understand his artistic achievements more vividly and concretely.