Rembrandt Influence

Superior Essays
Rembrandt is one artist that consistently graces top ten artists list. He is continuously called a master and a genius, a view that he himself promoted and was inspired by, as viewed through his grand self-portraits. By viewing how Rembrandt represented himself throughout his art, we see how he wanted us to admire in him later in history. His realistic portraiture, use of light, imagination, and most importantly his first name all support this view. Like many great artists, in all forms, Rembrandt used his life as an influence and inspiration for his art, and although this may have done this purposefully, arguably much of it was unconscious. As life events progressed and he matured in both age and technique, Rembrandt’s paintings morphed to …show more content…
Along with this he also used interesting and novel painting techniques, that had evolved and morphed from his earlier years. To increase the drama of the scene, he flooded it with light, coming from a direct source in the middle of the painting. Although Rembrandt constantly used light in his paintings, the extremely bright light in this painting, resembling fire, causing it seem as if the characters are forging a sacred oath. As usual, Rembrandt uses chiaroscuro to sculpt the figures and bring them out of the background. Although currently the background is not decorative, originally this painting was the largest ever painted by Rembrandt. Through viewing a sketch for the original work, there initially was a large room behind the table before it was cut down and the use of sculpting light would have been necessary to bring the characters out of the depths of this space. Also, the figures are painted in much broader brushstrokes than his earlier paintings and many claim this is regarding the barbaric origins and actions of the narrative. The focus should not be on the people, but on the bravery and power represented in the crossed swords. Finally, this painting uses many deep red colors, invoking images of warfare and blood that are certain to proceed after the oath. Although the red color fits with the representation of the action, red played a much more prominent role in Rembrandt’s later works. The Conspiracy of the Batavians under Claudius Civlis was the last secular history painting Rembrandt ever created and it contrasts greatly from his early ones. In these, the composition is much more balanced and calm, even if the subjects aren’t. The painting technique is much smoother and rounded. Although many claim as he advanced in age, Rembrandt painting style used broader

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