In photography, the “golden hour” is a window of time when the sun is setting and its light appears softer and more golden, lending to more aesthetically appealing images. The Netherlands had its own golden hour of sorts in the seventeenth century ㅡ a time known as the Dutch Golden Age. As the Library of Congress details, after achieving independence from Spain, Holland ushered in a new period of great trade wealth and flourishing art culture. (“Holland’s Golden Age”). Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is arguably the greatest and most revered master to have lived during this period. Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, commonly referred to simply as Rembrandt, is a legendary artist who spent most of his lifetime painting and etching. Born in Leiden,
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In the article “Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) : Paintings”, for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Walter Liedtke describes the many sources of inspiration for the artist: artwork from abroad, local masters, biblical passages, the people of Amsterdam, and effluence. Rembrandt improved upon his techniques by studying art pieces that came through Amsterdam from Italy or other master artists who had studied in Italy. In Liedtke’s article, he notes the transition in Rembrandt’s work from solely employing a spotlight technique, in which he highlights a focal point and leaves the rest shadowed, to mainly chiascuro, utilizing the subtle miniscule shadows and highlights throughout the piece to give it a more realistic feel. Many of Rembrandt’s pieces also depict his interpretation of biblical passages, which Liedtke contributes to the Mennonite presence in Holland. Besides biblical passages, Rembrandt painted, sketched, and etched the people of Amsterdam – ranging from circus performers to children playing in the street. Many of his pieces are portraits of individuals who had either inspired Rembrandt or commissioned him to do so. The influence of the effluent individuals on Rembrandt is fairly clear in his self-portraits throughout the years. Rembrandt often painted himself in the same way he would paint his well-to-do patrons; wealth and urbanity appear to be the things Rembrandt aspired to
In the article “Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) : Paintings”, for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Walter Liedtke describes the many sources of inspiration for the artist: artwork from abroad, local masters, biblical passages, the people of Amsterdam, and effluence. Rembrandt improved upon his techniques by studying art pieces that came through Amsterdam from Italy or other master artists who had studied in Italy. In Liedtke’s article, he notes the transition in Rembrandt’s work from solely employing a spotlight technique, in which he highlights a focal point and leaves the rest shadowed, to mainly chiascuro, utilizing the subtle miniscule shadows and highlights throughout the piece to give it a more realistic feel. Many of Rembrandt’s pieces also depict his interpretation of biblical passages, which Liedtke contributes to the Mennonite presence in Holland. Besides biblical passages, Rembrandt painted, sketched, and etched the people of Amsterdam – ranging from circus performers to children playing in the street. Many of his pieces are portraits of individuals who had either inspired Rembrandt or commissioned him to do so. The influence of the effluent individuals on Rembrandt is fairly clear in his self-portraits throughout the years. Rembrandt often painted himself in the same way he would paint his well-to-do patrons; wealth and urbanity appear to be the things Rembrandt aspired to