Rembrandt as an artist is famous for his paintings and his etchings. He has done several works throughout his lifetime. His style consisted of portraits and landscapes with several religious themes. Rembrandt has been noted for being able to take biblical stories, interpret them, and turn them into visual works of art to tell a complete story.
It is always to important to find out what other scholars are saying about pieces of art, whether it be visual art, literary art, or performing art. With a piece such as The Night Watch which is so popular, it is imperative that we find out what is being said about the piece. Below are some basic summaries of the featured articles that were found that created a conversation about the piece.
"The Legend and the Man," in The World of Rembrandt: 1606-1669 (Time-Life Library of Art), Walter Wallace, New York, 1968, pp. 17-25
The article “The Legend and the Man” discusses the early life of Rembrandt and his journey to success. Rembradnt started his interest in painting when he was in his early childhood years. His inspiration came from his teacher Van Swanenburgh who taught him how to do his writings from real life experiences. It also mentions the relationship he had with his wife and the inspiration that she had given him on most of his self portraits. This article was essential to the blog because it gives feedback on many of his famous portraits and the reason behind his many themes within these paintings and drawings. The background information on his early life was helpful as well. The key element to this article is how it mentions the history behind The Night Watch. The painting had not been originally named The Night Watch; it was called Company of Captian Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenhurch. Also the article gives insight to the techniques that were used by Rembrandt to complete the picture. The painting had been “slathered” with varnish and “bold stokes” of impasto were also used.
"Rembrandt's Journey." The Art Institute of Chicago. Mar. 2004. Web. 28 Apr. 2010.
The “Exhibition Themes” article gives an insight on Rembrandts stages of life and his phases with painting different types of portraits such as landscape, self portraits, and nudity. It explores the evolution of his life. His love for landscape and nature was explained in detail. The older he became the better he became an artist. It was not until his wife died that the most famous portrait the “night watch” was finished but went unknown for years. This article was significant because it explains the different phases Rembrandt went through until his death.
Berger, Harry. Manhood, Marriage and Mischief: Rembrandt’s “Night Watch and Other Dutch Group Portraits. Renaissance Quarterly. New York: Fordham University Press (2007): 972-973
The article “Manhood, Marriage and Mischief”, goes in great detail about the painting and the significance behind this portrait. From the beginning the portrait was analyzed wrong because when it was discovered old with dust and other vanish on it so it was hard to recognize the color. It wasn’t until later other critics saw a new meaning to the portrait. It also goes into detail about the angle of the soldiers. This was not intended to be a group photo; he specifically wanted each character to do something different to represent them. This article was very significant to the blog because it gives a good analysis on the portrait and each part of the portrait in explained in detail. Not only that, but Berger uses his skills as an analytic critic to give a critique on the painting in comparison to other works. Berger looks deeply into the themes and symbols of the painting and relates it to the time period in which it was painted. For instance the domestication of women and how there is a little girl who is actually featured in the painting.
"VQR » Supposing Rembrandt’s The Night Watch." VQR » Virginia Quarterly Review. Winter 2007. Web. 28 Apr. 2010.
In “Supposing Rembrandt’s the Night Watch”, Berger discusses in depth details about the portrait. He specifies on the underlying message that is within the poem. The article gives you a different aspect of the painting. Berger believes that the picture tells a story about musketeers all excited and in preparation for war. Also noted in the article, the captain appears to be struggling with keeping his soldiers prepared for the next move. Although it is a group photo each character is doing its own thing which allows them to stand on their own but still has an impact on the overall painting. The little girl in the photo is said to have been Rembrandt’s wife for she resembles her. Much of the evidence from this article was used in the blog to find the theme and other unique things about the picture. The article also raises awareness that there are arguments among scholars about military pictures and how pictures display the chain of command.
“The Night Watch’ Restored”. The Burlington Magazine 118.884. The Burlington Magazine Publications (Nov. 1976): 731-781
This editorial was about the restoration of Rembrandts The Night Watch painting. The painting has been compared to other great paintings such as the Mona Lisa. It has also been compared to the Sistine Chapel for it brings thousand of admirers and that leave them both quiet and appreciative while looking upon it. However, with all of the praise that it has received, there have also been some very unfortunate things that have happened to the painting. For one, the painting is of large size and it has been quite difficult to transport. The main incident that was mentioned in the article was about a mentally disturbed man attacking the painting with a knife. The man had slashed it twelve times and left marks in the canvas. Although it has been fully restored in color to see the beauty that Rembrandt had intended, when looked upon closely the flaws can still be seen. On the bonus side, the new restoration has caused the difficulty to on lookers to take pictures. It would be quite hard to make a photographic copy of this painting.
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