Contents and List of Pictures Portrait Of

CONTENTS AND LIST OF PICTURES

S . Fronti zece. PORTRAIT OF REMBRANDT . PAINTED BY HIM ELF gp

CIE . FROM PHOTOGRAPH BY MAISON AD . BRAUN PAGE INTRODUCTION E T ’ CH AS T T I . ON R MBRAND S ARACTER AN AR IS ON K E II . BOO S OF REFERENC D E HE O TH COL III. HISTORICAL IR CTORY OF T PICTURES F IS LECTION xiii E T E HE P P EV E T REM Iv. OUTLIN ABL OF T RINCI AL N S IN BRANDT ’S LIFE ’ O O v . SOME OF REMBRANDT S FAM US CONTEMP RARIES IN HOLLAND P VI . FOREIGN CONTEM ORARY PAINTERS I C B W ESTLIN W IT THE AN EL . JA O R G H G A Z H F PICT URE FROM PHOTOGR PH BY FRAN AN S TAEN GL . II IS EL BLESSIN THE S NS OF JOSEP—H . RA G O PICT URE FROM PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANZ HAN FS TAEN GL III THE AN EL AEL LEA I EAMILY OF . V N THEL G RAPH GL TOBIT D PICT U RE FROM PHOTOGRAPH BY MAISON A . BRAUN CIE THE RAT KILLER PICTURE FROM ORIGINAL ETCHING IN THE MUSEUM OF F E B T IN ARTS , OS ON THE PHILOSOPHER IN MEDITATION O AD PICTURE FR M PHOTOGRAPH BY MAISON . BRAUN CIE THE GOOD SAMARITAN PICi‘ t E FROM ORIGINAL ETCHING IN THE M USEUM OF F A B 33 INE RTS , OSTON 37

” M “ ” ‘ — PICTURE FROM PH OTOGRAPH BY FRANZ HAN FSTAEN GL 39 E VIII . CHRIST PR ACHING 43 PICTURE FROM ORIGINAL ETCHING IN THE MUSEUM OF FIN E

PICTURE FROM PHOTOGRAPH BY MAISON AD . BRAUN C ONTENTS AND LIST OF PICTURES PORTRAIT OF SASKIA PICT URE FROM PHOTOGRAP H BY FRANZ HAN FSTAEN GL HE S E OF THE "I . T ORTI CIVIC GUARD O A PICTURE FROM PHOT GRAPH BY MAISON D . BRAUN CIE I T AIT OF JAN SI" "I . POR R PICTURE FROM ORIGINAL ETCHING IN THE MUSEUM OF F N A B I E RTS, OSTON F " O . III . PORTRAIT AN OLD W OMAN H H M B PICTURE FROM P OTOGRAP BY AISON AD . RAUN CIE "I E V. TH SYNDICS OF THE CLOTH GUILD PICTURE FROM PH OTOGRAPH BY FRANZ HAN FSTAEN GL " THE EE EE V. THR TR S . PICTURE FROM ORIGINAL ETCHING IN THE MUSEUM OF F A B INE RTS , OSTON " THE VI. PORTRAIT OF REMBRANDT(S ee PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY OF PROPER NAMES AND FOREIGN W ORDS

INTRODUCTION

I ON E ’S H E AS AN S . R MBRANDT C ARACT R ARTI T

A GEN ERAL impre ssio n prevails with the large pict ure lo vin g public t hat a spe c ial t rain in g is n e ce ssary t o an y

n H i he o f h f R mbra dt . e s t o t e . o er a e c at o n o , pr p ppr i i e id l f c o n n o isse ur be his supe rb mast e ry o t e chn ique ,

h o f hi m e s To o man st an d quit e witho ut t e pale s ad ir r . y

' pe o ple , accept in g this as a dictum , t ake n o pain s t o make

n n h ut c m It m a b the ac quai t a c e o f t e gre at D h ast e r . y e ’ t hat they are repe lled at the o ut set by Re mbran dt s in dif _ His pict ure s

‘ Al his t ast e ,

Raphael pe o ple s his c an vas e s wit h

be aut u c e at u e s of an o t e e a m Re ib an dt dra S if l r r h r r l , g r ,. S om the c ommo n wo a out us In I rld b . plac e “ m ‘ m ’h m “M fi R w flw M N m w w w b fi fla mm w o f the fair women an d c harmin g childre n W i th W ho m Ra

hael e t s uS he cho os e his mo e s ro e -M o p d ligh ,\ S d l f m. wrinkl d ld men an d r m n begga s . ZRe bra dt 1s n e ve rthele ss a po e t an d a

Vl SIo n ar in his o wn wa s c a h ub y y . phy i l beauty e S

stit ut e s mo a e x s s on s s Fr e n t ’ m t h ﬁt r l pre i , ay om nn If e rs

N N W N glan ce at his pict urewe see on ly a t ran script o f commo n REMBRANDT

life , a se co n d lo o k disc o ve rs some thin g in this c ommo n

i e n e ve e o e se en t e l fe that we hav r b f r h re . W e lo o k

h mm n again , an d we s e e be hin d t e c o o plac e ext erio r t he

n n e A v s o n o f t he po et ry o f the i er lif . i i ide al ho ve rs just beyo n d the re

o f

w ‘ ‘ ' m Ii em ran t e co m e s t o t e wo rld . R b d b us

h Raphael aS be e n surn am e d the divin e , fo r the go dli ke i ‘ be auty of h s c re at io n s , so Rembran dt is the hu

fo r his s m athe t c n s t n t o he ve s o f his e o w y p i i igh i t , li Mll

me n .

‘ “ " r Even fo r tho se who are Slo w t o c at ch the highe r m ean ’ uﬁmlf Bea in f Rem an t s wo r t e e Is st ll m uc t o en t e t n br d k, h r i h r ain Noneever an d in t e re st in his rare st o ry- t ellin g powe r a gift which satin3m should In some me asure c ompen sat e fo r his lack of sup e r

inthe ort: dire ct t han p

o the r artist has un derst o o d so we ll the pict o rial

T at s n u a un lo n o f o e t o f patriarchal hist o ry . h i g l r p ry

t c a c ommo n s en an d pro se , o f mysticism an d prac i l se , so

st rikin g in the Hebre w c haract er, appeale d powerfully t o ’ R n n It was e cu a we re re e mbran dt s im agi atio . p li rly ll p

n ac o r se n t e d in the s c e n es o f an gelic visit atio . J b W e s

ﬂin t the An l g wi h g e stre n uo us re alitie s o f

’ 0 Re mbran dt S Ne w Te st am e n t sc en e s are e qually well 211109 oi ( Su adapt e d t o emphasiz e the e t e rn al imman en ce o f the super, pperat INTRODUCTION

5 . t he se co n t rast s be

In t he m as

h i u m e His t e ry o f the art o f light an d shade e s s pre . t o em e n tire artistic care e r was de vo t e d t o this gre a pr bl , an d we c an t race his succ e ss thro ugh all the gre at pict ure s

n fro m the Pre se n t ation t o the Sy dic s . Re mbran dt apparenjly “/ fo r the delicat e curve s

x z ﬁr e aut i fo rm was his re dile ctio n f ne m w d qw y b p m No n e e ve r lo ve d be tt er the play o f light upo n j e we ls an d sat in an d arm o r, the rich effe ctiven e s s o f O rien t al stuffs

s st e tm n s n t t t st e an d e c cle ia ical v s e t . U able t o gra ify his a in h o t s w c he a n t e t o o e he t o o e e t e p rt rai hi h p i d rd r, k v ry i o ppo rt un ity t o pain t bo th h m se lf an d his wife , Saskia, in

t m " e e e t he su e ct a m tt e h n t o uc c o s u e . W h r v r bj d i d, e i r d e d

In th what he c ould o f ric h det ail . e pi ct ure o f Israe l

Ble s sin g the S on s o f Jo s eph, Asen at h, as the wife o f an

n fﬁ i o t Egyptia o cial, s appr pria ely ado rn e d wit h j e wels

n ﬁn In th o t e o f h e a d e ry . S r i t e Civic Guard, Capt ain

Co c s e s en en t in his m t a e a q i r pl d ili ry r g lia . W ith all t his fo n dn e s s fo r the limit s of The Ve n etian mast e rs had re pre s en t e d them o st Sole mn sc en e s o f the Ne w Te st am e n t w ith

a om n d m ﬁ p p a agn i c en c e e n t irely at varian c e with the ir

me an n . Rem an t un e st o o et t e t he e Si n iﬁ i g br d d r d b r r al g c an ce o f C st an t an d m a e n o s m s e His hri i i y, d uch i t ak . Supper at Emmaus is the simple e ven in g me al o f thre e REMBRANDT pe asan t pilgrims prec ise ly as it is re pre sen t e d in the Go s

His C st P eac n n c u e s a mot e c om an pel. hri r hi g i l d l y p y o f humble fo lk,suc h as the gre at Te ache r lo ve d t o gathe r im abo ut h . It was pe rhaps t he obve rse Side o f his fon dn e s s fo r

ﬁn t at Rem an t had a st o n e an n t o h ery, h br d r g l i g wards t e

u n f ve n n s f pict ure sq e e s s o rags . A ry i t eresti g cla s o his

c n s is e vo te t o e n e st u s n s e e e t hi g d d g r die a d beggar . H r his disregard o f the be autiful in t he passio n fo r e xpre s

m Hi ﬂ x an e x e e s Su e ar o l ro sio n re ache d tr . cts e ft en g x “ bj t s u so m et e s e u s ve but a a e qe f im r p l i lw ys

n e a n um an c a ac t e t a e ma . R di g h h r r wi h r r was pro fo un dly t o uche d by t he po et ry an d the p atho s o f

e m se a e ve s hr o u all t e s t he s i r bl li . T gh he se st udi quain t ve in o f hum o r, relie vin g the patho s o f the sit ua t o n The c t u e s ue c o st ume o f t he Old Rat K e i s . pi r q ill r

th n s f um n d c o n e s s o m e o w a de t ickle s e s e e o h o r, a v y h light ful sugge stion o f his hum buggery whic h O ffse t s the

e An d t ouchin g squalo r o f the gro t e sque lit tle appre n tic . n on e but a hum o rist c ould have c re at e d the swagge rin g ’ ’ o t e n t h m n s h s l r s boy ho ldi g e Go o d Sa arit a s ho r e . h cli As a re ve ale r o f c haract e r, Re mbran dt re ache s t e

m x f hi in hi F m s c ass o his a O s po we r s po rt rait s . ro thi l f pict ure s alo n e o n e c an repeople Ho llan d wit h the spi rit s

o f th n n t n u A c n d c o n t o n s e se ve t e e h c e t ry . ll la sse s a di i an d all age s c am e within t he ran ge o f his m agic brush

n u n The e s ho o o f a a he t u a d b ri . fr h girl d S ski , t S rdy

m n f h n f hi a ho o d o t e Sy dic s, an d the st orie d Old ag e o s

o l m n m i o e fav rit e O d wo a o del Sho w the Scope o f h s p w r, an d in Israel Ble ssin g t he S o n s o f Jo s eph he sho ws t he

w o e an e in a s n e c om o s t o n He is m an e st h l r g i gl p i i . if ly at his best when his s itt e r has pro n o un ce d fe at ure s an d

' h un e wrin kle d Skin , a fac e full o f c haract er, which e d r INTRODUCTION xi

h t o st ac e s st mu at e him st o o d so well o w depict . Ob l i l d

i st n a o G ve n the o sa c an d hackn e e t o h s highe e de v r . i pr i y d ’ he t mo t if of the syn dic s c ompo sit io n , he ro se t o t highe s po in t o f artist ic expre ssio n in a po rt rait gro up , in which a gran d simplicity o f t e chn ic al s tyle is un it e d with a pro

n um n n u fo un d an d i timat e kn o wle dge o f h a at re .

E E II . ON BOOKS OF R FERENC

The hist o ry o f m o de rn Rembran dt biblio graphy pro

e e n s w t h m u V o smaer p rly b gi i h t e fa o s wo rk by C . , ” Rem an t Harmen s n R n s i t se s (Euvre br d va ij , a V e e s .

o sm r ro ﬁt h V ae p e d by t e re s e arche s o f Kollo ff an d Burge r t o brin g o ut a bo o k whic h o pe n e d a n e w e ra in t he appre

iatio n o f th e u c m It ﬁ was st ss ue in c e gr at D t h as t e r . r i d

1 n 8 6 8 , a d was re publishe d in 1 8 7 7 in an e n large d e di

n s h un t t o . o o t c a o n In ﬁ i Thi b k was prac i lly al e t e e ld il

h re ce n t o f Em M c e a e e In the t e w rk o ile i h l pp ar d . En glish t ran slat ion (by Flo ren c e Simm o n ds) e dit e d by ’ t A mst o n M c e s em an t is at the re W al er r r g, i h l R br d p

n t t n h u t It s e n t mome n t t he st a dard au ho ri y o t e s bj e c . ﬁ is in t wo large vo lum e s fully illustrat e d,an d is a rich t re a

f t n mat o n e s c t o n an d c t c sm . sury o his o ric al i fo r i , d rip i ri i i r ” f n The Co mplet e W o rk o Rembra dt , by W ilhelm

m he s n Bo de , is n ow issuin g fro t pre s a d will c o n sist o f e ight vo lum e s co n t ai n In g repro duct io n s o f all the ’ m e t n d s rl t i t x It ast r s pic ure s , with hist o ric al a d e c p ve e t . is t o be ho pe d that t his m amm oth an d co st ly wo rk will whe n c o mple t e d be foun d in the large re fe ren c e librarie s , ’ whe re st ude n t s m ay co n s ult it t o se e Rembran dt s wo rk in i e n t e t t s ir y . The series o f sm all German mon o graphs e dit e d by REMBRANDT

H Kn ackfuss an d n o w t an s at e n t o En s has o n e . r l d i gli h

dt c n t a n n n e a o n e hun n umbe r de vo t e d t o Re mbran , o i i g rly dre d an d sixty re pro duc t io n s from his wo rks,with de scrip ’ xt Ku le r s Han o o of the Ge m an F em s t i ve t e . g db k r , l i h, s . o we n c u e a an d Dut ch S cho o ls , re vise d by J. A Cr , i l d ’ brief acco un t o f Re mbran dt s life an d wo rk, which may

‘ t Fo r a critical e s ti be t aken as valuable an d t rust wo r hy . ’ m at e o f the charact e r o f Rembran dt s art , it s stren gt h

‘ n n n i ul a t e s n o t n c an e m o e a d weak e s se s,a d t s pe c i ri i , hi g b r n t r in t ere s tin g than what Eugen e Fro m e n t in , Fre n c h pai e

t e s o f Be um an d c ritic , has writ ten in his Old M as r lgi ” n d o n a H lla d . ’ Rembran dt s et chin gs have be en the e xclusive subj ect

f m n e e r o um n o u de sc t ve c at a o a y bo oks . Th r a e v l i s rip i lo gn e s by Bart sch Le Pe in t re Graveur Claussin ,

n i A o W ilso n , Charle s Blan c , M iddlet o , an d Dut u t . sh rt mo n o graph o n The Et chin gs of Rembran dt , by Philip

L n n Gilbe rt Hamert o n ( o do , reviews the mo st

am o us n t in ve s n t a f pri s a ry plea a w y .

Th a e c lle cti o n In the n t e Harvey D . P rk r o Pri Depart m en t o f the Bo st on M us eum of Fin e Art s c o n t am s so m e va ua e n t s om the o n a at e s o f R m n l bl pri fr rigi l pl e bra dt . Tho se who are n o t fo rt un at e en o ugh t o have ac c e s s t o o rigin al prin t s will de rive muc h s atisfactio n from the c o m et e s et o f e o uct o n s u in et e s u pl r pr d i p blishe d St . P r b rg

' 1 8 90 wit c at a o ue R n ski n om he x ( ) h l g by o vi , a d fr t e c el

en t e o uct o n s of Am n D l r pr d i a d uran d, Paris . To c om e in t o uch with t he Spirit o f the t im e s an d o f

t he c oun t o f Re m an th is . e e e t o M ot ry br dt , e reade r r f rr d ’ ” ley s Ris e o f the Dut ch Republic , con den se d an d con

n n E ri t e . fﬁ W . i d by G s . INTRODUCTION xiii

H S O CA E O Y O THE P ES O III . I T RI L DIR CT R F ICTUR F THIS COLLECTION

at o n al alle on o n . n e d P ortra it Fron tisp iece . N i G ry, L d Sig an d d at e d 1 6 40 .

n l . n e a ob res tlin with t he An el. B e li Gal e Si 1 . J c W g g r ry g d 1 ' 3 ft . f . 5 in . i u e s li e si e . Si e : 4 t an d dat e d 1659. F g r f z z T3 by

93 in .

ll . l Bless in the S on s o Jos e h . Cassel Ga e 2 . I s ra e g f p ry 9 5ft . 8 in . u e s l e s e . e Sign e d an d dat e d 1 656 . Fig r if iz Siz 1 3

in . by 6 ft . 6}3

he An el Ra ha el Leavin the Famil o Tobit . 3 . T g p g y f

L i Si n an d at e 1 637 . Si e : 2 ft . in . ouvre , Par s . g e d d d z

in . by 1 ft . 8 5

he Ra t Killer . Etchin . Si n e an d at e 1 632 . 4 . T g g d d d 1 4 in . in . Size : 5, by 35

The Philoso her in M edit a tion . Louv e Pa is . Si n e d 5. p r , r g 7 1 633 . e 1 1 in . 13 l n . , an d dat e d Siz 1 6 by

e Good S a ma rita n . Et ch n . n n 6 . Th i g Sig ed a d dat ed — Si e 10 in . 8 in . 1 633 . z by 2

h . n e d 7 . The P res en t a tion in the Temp le . At t e Hague Sig

- — . n 1 . in . an d at e 1631 . Si e : 2 ft 4 i . ft 6 d d z 1 by 2; h . t h n . e n e c e 8 Chris t P rea chin g . E c i g Dat assig d by Mi l,

in . i . abo ut 1 652 . Size 6 % by 8% n n 9 . Christ a t Emmaus . Louvre , Paris . Sign e d a d dat e d

- 1 48 . : 2 f . 2 in . 2 f . n 6 Size t h} by t 1 3 i .

s k . 1 . n e ou 0 P ortra it of S a ia Cass el Gallery . Pai t d ab t — 1 . . . 2 in . . 1 in 1 632 634 e s e e : 3 ft . 2 f Lif iz Siz H; by t 5;

11 . o k n S rtie of the Civic Gua rd . Ry s Mus e um (Trippe

hu s mste r am . n e an d at e 1 642 . e e ﬁu e s . i ), A d Sig d d d Lif siz g r 5 Si e : 1 1 ft . 9 in . 14 ft . 3 in . z g by 1 3

‘

12 . ortrai n n at e d P t of Ja n S ix. Et chin g . Sig e d a d d

1 47 . 6 e . Siz ab o ut 9§ in by g in .

1 3 . P ortra t o m alle St . i f a n Old W oma n . He r itage G ry,

- P . e te s u . n . in b r b rg Sig e d an d dat e d 1 654 Size : 3 ft . 6 g y

2 ft . 9 in .

14 . The n di s o m T Sy c f the Cloth Guild . Ryks Muse u ( rip REMBRANDT

n e an at e 1661 . pe n huis), Amst erdam . Sig d d d d Life Siz e

- 1 in . . 1 ﬁu e 6 ft . in . 8 ft e s Si g r . z by 13

3 . : re Trees . t ch n 164 e 8 n . 15. The Th e E i g, Siz § i by

1 1 in .

E E THE AL IV. OUTLIN TABL OF PRINCIP EVENTS IN REMBRANDT ’S LIFE

Rembran dt b o rn in Le yde n .

m n n Re bra dt appre tic e d t o the pain t er, Jacob van Swa

n e n burc h .

e m an s ix h 1 62 4 . R br dt tudie d s m o n t s with Pie t e r Lastman In

Am st e rdam . ‘ ’

1 2 . m n 6 e a n n . 7 R br dt s e arlie st k ow w orks, St Paul in Priso n , (S tut tgart Mus e um) ; The Mo n e y Chan gers (Be rlin

Gallery) .

m n Re bra dt re move d t o Amst erdam . h T e Pre s e n t atio n p ain t e d .

The An at o m Lec tu e ain t e y r p d . h h h l T e p ortrait o f t e S ipbui de r an d his W ife p ain t ed.

Re mbran dt marrie d S askia van Uyle n borch, Jun e 2 2 ,

in Bildt . ’ Rem an t s so n Rombertus a ti e De c e m e 1 5. 1635. br d b p z d b r

(Die d In in fan cy . ) n m l An gel Raph ael L e avi g Fa i y o f Tobit pain t ed . ’ I n Re mbran dt s d aught e r CO n e lia bor . (Di e d in e arly

childho o d . ) h Re mbran dt b o ught a ho use in t e Jo de n Bre e straat ; ’ n n Re mbran dt s s e c o n d d aught er b or a d die d . ’ Re mbran dt s mo ther die d . ’ n The Carpe n t e r s Hous ehold pai t e d. ’ M an o ah s Praye r pain t e d .

- ’ Re mbran dt s s o n Tit as baptize d . Sortie o f the Civic Guard (The N ight W atch) pain t e d ll o f t he Am st e am fo r t he ha rd Muske t e ers .

1 no Autho rities are n o t e n tirely un an imous as t o the date o f Re ’ ran t s b d birth. INTRODUCTION xv

’ Re mbran dt s wife , Saskia, die d.

Christ at Emmaus pain t e d .

Th e Hun dre d Guilde r prin t e tche d.

Christ App e arin g t o M agdalen pain ted.

Christ Pre achin g e t c he d . ’ Re mbran dt s ban krupt cy .

Israe l Ble ssin g the S o n s o f Jo s eph pain t ed . Po rtrait o f the Syn dic s pamt e d for the Guild of Drapers,

Am st erdam . ’ Re mbran dt s so n Titus die d .

Re mbran dt die d .

Pm E O E ’ F CONTEM PORA , V . SOM F R MBRANDT S AMOUS RIES IN HOLLAND

F e e ic He n o f Oran e st adtholder 1 62 5. P in c e ss Ama r d r k ry g ,. , r

lia o f S o lm s, W ife o f Fre deric k He n ry, b uilt t he H uis t e n

Bo sc h (House in the W o o d s) at the Hague , 16 47 . he t a W illiam II o f Oran ge , st adtho lde r, 16 47 . In 1 650 t s dt

holdc rat e was suppre s se d, an d Jo h n de W itt be c ame in 1 653

h e e u v h e u l o e e c i f e x c t i e o f t e r p b ic f rt we n ty ye ars . Murd r d

in 1 67 2 .

Jo hn o f Barn e veld, Gran d Pe n sion e r, the gre at e st st at e sm an in all the h st o o f he h l n E i t N e t e a s rifﬁ. ry r d (G s) x e cut e d

M a 2 4 1619 . y , “ chael de u te the ut h n Mi R y r, D c N elso , die d 1 67 6 .

a t n Har e r z M e t s vo n T om a mi al. B n i 1 r p r p, d r or 1597 ; d e d 169 . He h n e e at e t e E l s ﬂn l . ( d f d g i h e e t u der B ake ) Co n elius Eve ts e n i r r , adm ral.

Flo risz o n o , admiral. W itt e de W ith i ,adm ral.

e n u so n n av at o an d s o ﬁ H drik H d , ig r di c verer ; rst voyage , 160 7

last vo a y ge , 1 6 10 .

Ca t ain Z e ache n i p , d sc ove rer.

Hu o G otius athe o f in t e n a i n — g r , f r r t o al law, 1583 1 645. Jan Six u o ma t , b rg s er, bibliophile , art c on n oisse ur, an d drama

tist 16 1 - , 8 170 0 . REMBRANDT

— h 162 2 1 67 7 . Spin o za,philo sop e r, n o n e l o an d am at t 1 — Jo o st van de V d , p et dr is , 58 7 1679 .

n Pe n n n o t ~ Jac o b Cat s , Gra d sio ary a d p e , 1577 1660 .

n tin e Hu he n s o e t Co n sta yg , p .

‘ n iu 1 —1 Gy sbart Vo et (Lati , Vo e t s) 588 6 78 , pro fe ssor of theo

lo gy at Utre c ht .

n n Co rn e lis Ja s e , b orn 1 585. Pro fe sso r o f scripture in terpre

t atio n at Lo uvain . h — Johan n e s Ko c (L atin , Co cc ejus), 1 60 3 1 669, pro fessor o f

lo e n o gy at L yde an d, aft e r E rasm us , t he fathe r o f l l ” Bib ic a crit ic ism .

n am n h J . va K pe , arc it e c t, built the Het Palais (Royal

in Amst e rdam, 1 648 .

‘ Jan sz Vin cke n brin k, sc ulpt o r.

Hen drik de Ke ys er, sc ulpt o r .

r h h n n C abe t bro t ers , de sig ers o f st ai ed glass . Pain t ers — l 1 4 1 . Fran z Ha s, 58 6 66 — Gerard Ho n thorst , 1590 1 656 . — Alb ert C uyp , 1 60 51 6 91 .

n 2 - Jan Van Goye , 1 596 1 656 . — l 1 2 1 2 . Jac ob Ruys dae , 6 5 68 — 2 1 4 . Paul Po tte r, 1 6 5 65

Jan Lie ve n s,born 1 60 7 died after 1672 . — Salo mo n Ko n in g, 160 9 1668 . — 1 . Gerard Te rburg, 1 60 8 68 1 —1 N ic olas B erghe m, 1 62 0 683 . — Jan St e e n , 1 62 6 16 79 .

n 1 —1 Adrian va Ost ade , 6 10 685. ’ Rembran dt s pupils — Fe rdin an d Bol, 1 616 1 680 . — Govert Flin c k, 1 61 51 6 60 . — V an de n Ee ckho ut , 1 6 2 0 1 674 . — 1 1 0 . Ge rard Don , 1 6 3 68 — Nic o las Mae s,1 632 1 693 .

Juriae n O ve n s ,1 62 3 . ’ He n drick He e rschop,b orn 162 0 , e n t ere d Rembran dt s

dio , 1 644 . INTRODUCTION xvn

— 2 4 1 4 . Carl Fabritius, 1 6 65 Samuel van Ho og straat e n , born 162 7 , with Rembran dt, — 1 640 1 650 .

- 1 Ae rt de Ge lde r, 1 645 7 2 7 m : Le ss imp ort an t n a e s Jan van Glabbe c k, Jacobus Le m n Dullae r h ve c q, He y a t, Jo an He n drickse n , Adriae n

Verdae l, Corn elis Dro st .

F E N E VI . OR IG CONT MPORARY PAINTERS

— Pe t e r Paul Rube n s , 1577 1 640 .

n n 1 —1 An tho y Va Dyc k, 599 641 . — Jac o b Jo rdae n s, 1594 1678 . — F an n de 1 54 1657 . r z S y rs, 7

r 1582 - Gaspard de Craeye , 1669. — David Te n ie rs,1 6 10 1690 . Span i sh l — Ve as, 1599 16 60 . — Pache c o , 157 1 1 654 . — Can o , 1 60 1 1 6 7 6 . — He rrera, 157 6 1 656 . —1 Z urbaran , 1598 662 . — Murillo , 1 618 1 682 .

Simo n Vo n e t 1582 —1 1 , 64 .

- Charle s Le Brun , 1 619 1 690 .

Eus a he Le S ue u 161 —1 t c r, 7 655. Italian — Carlo D olc i , 16 16 1 686 . — Guido Re n i, 15751 642 . — D o me n ichin o , 1581 1 641 .

F an c e sc o Al an i 1 578—1 660 r b , . — Guerc in o , 1591 16 6 6 . asso o 1 —1 S ferrat , 60 5 685.

2 REMBRANDT

But though Esau might sell his birthright in t hils

a t he at e n o t e e e n t b f shion, f h r would hav b , willing l h give the b e s sm g t o t e younge r s o n , had it n ot t th Th b e en for a rick plann e d by e mothe r . e Old man was n e arly blind, and kn ew his sons apart by h t e a t e t ouch of h ir skin, s Esau had a rough , hairy Th Skin an d Jacob a smooth o n e . e moth e r put ’ skins of kids upon Jacob s hands and n e ck an d bade him go t o his fathe r pret e nding t o be Esau,

hi The t l and se ek s ble ssing . rick was succe ssfu , and whe n a little lat e r Esau himse lf came t o his at e t he e e a he t t he had f h r on sam rr nd, found ha , ' t a he e n b e e n sup erse de d . Na ur lly was v ry a gry,and

e e e e t e a e vow d v ng anc on his bro h r . J cob, f aring

ﬂ . for his life, e d into a place calle d Padanaram In this placc h e b e came a prosp erous cattle farme r an d gre w ve ry rich . He marrie d the re also and

te ut e e n had a large family of childre n . Af r fo r ye ars he b ethought himself of his brothe r Esau an d H the gre at wrong he had don e him . e re solve d t o remove his family t o his old home, an d t o be re con

t e e t t o cile d with his brothe r . Hardly daring o xp c be favorably re c eive d, he se nt in advanc e a large numb e r of cattle in thre e drove s as a gift t o Esau . The n he await e d ove r night some n ews or me ssage h t dv n from his brothe r . In t e nigh a strange a e i th he is —t Old in t ure b e fe ll him . This s e way t story 1 t he book of Ge ne sis . The re wre stle d a man with him until the bre ak n e he saw t t he re i g of the day . And wh n ha p

1 — n h xxxn . e e s 2 4 Ge esis ,c apter v rs 31 . ’ Hun t s ta n l P e g , ho t o . JAC O B W RES TLI N G W IT H T HE AN GEL

Berlm Ga lle ry

JACOB W RESTLING W ITH . THE ANGEL 5 h vaile d n o t against him, he t o uche d t e hollow of his ’ t high ; an d t he hollow of Jacob s thigh was o ut h a of joint, as he wre stle d with him . And e s id, ‘ ’ h da a e t . h Le t m e go, for t e y bre k h And e said,

I will n o t let the e go, e xcept t hou ble ss m e And “ he said unt o him, What is thy name And he ‘ ’ a a he a e a be s id, J cob . And said, Thy n m sh ll calle d no more Jacob, but Israel ; for as a prince t hast thou powe r wi h God and with m e n , an d hast ’ h e e e . pre vaile d . And bl ss d him t he re And Jacob calle d the name of the place Peniel for I have se e n God face t o face , and my life is a he a e t h s un pre serve d . And s p ss d over P e nue l, e rose upon him an d he halt e d upon his thigh ; that is, he walke d halt , or lame .

The crisis in Jacob s life was passe d, fo rhardly had he set forth on this m orning whe n he saw his i brothe r who m he had wronge d advancing with four

n t e et t o hundre d me o m him . And Esau ran me e t him, and embrace d him, and fell on his n e ck ” and kisse d him an d they wept .

So we re t he brothe rs re concile d . The picture repre sent s Jacob wre stling with his

e e e e myst erious adve rsary . W hav s n from his his t ory how det e rmine d he was t o have his own way, and ho w he wre ste d worldly prospe rity e ve n from

t h a e t t misfor un e s . Now e is e qu lly d e rmin e d in his

e It a e high r and more spirit ual conﬂict . is v ry real struggle, and Jacob has pre vaile d only by put t I h t ing forth his utmost e ne rgy . t is t e mome n whe n t he grand angel,pre ssing o n e kne e int o the 6 REMBRAN DT

’ hollow of Jacob s left thigh an d laying his hand o n his right side , looks int o his face an d grant s the a t a ble ssing de mande d as condi ion for re le se .

St rong an d t e nde r is his gaze , an d the gift he be

stows is a n ew name , in t oke n of the n e w charac t e r of brothe rly love of which t his victory Is the b eginning . The t t ae the a s ory of S . Mich l and Dr gon, which h Raph ael has paint e d, stands for t e e ve rlasting con t h “ ﬂio b etwe e n good and e vil in t e world . The re Is ’ a like m e aning in the st ory of Jacob s wre stling h with t e ange l . The struggle is in t he human he art

et e e n Th b we n s lﬁsh impulse s a d highe r ide als . e day whe n o n e can hold on t o t he good ange l long

‘ e nough t o win a ble ssing, is the day which begins ’ n e w a chapte r in a man s life . ISRAEL BLESSING THE SONS O F JO SEP H

W HEN Jacob wre stle d with the ange l he re ceive d a n e w name, Israel, or a prince , a champion of

God . Israe l b e came the foun de r of t he gre at Israe lite h nation ,an d from his twe lve sons gre w up t e t we lve m a t i h t rib e s of Israel, among who w s dis r but e d t e t count ry now calle d Pale stin e . Among he se sons ’ the fathe r s favorit e was Jose ph, who was n e xt t o

a t e the a the younge st . This f vori ism arous d nge r and j e alousy of the olde r broth e rs, and the y plott e d n e t o g e t rid of him . O day whe n t hey were all o ut with some ﬂocks in a ﬁeld quit e dist ant from t heir

t t e home , th ey t hough h y we re rid fore ve r of the hat e d Joseph by selling himt o a company of men

n who we re journ eyi g t o Egypt . The n t he y dipp e d ’ ’ the lad s coat in goat s blood and carrie d it t o

Israe l,who,supposing his son t o h ave b e e n d e voure d t by a wild b e as , mourn e d him as de ad .

Whe n Joseph had grown t o manhood in Egypt , a Singular chain of circumstance s brought the brothe rs t et a og he r again . Th e re was sore famin e , and

t the e a t e th Egyp was h adqu r rs for e sale of corn . Jose ph had shown himself so able and t rustworthy that he was give n charge of selling and distributing 8 REMBRANDT

’ h e t e store s of food . So wh n Israe l s Olde r sons c ame from t heir home t o Egypt t o buy corn t hey had t o apply t o Jose ph, whom t hey litt le suspe ct e d f th t t e had O b e ing e bro he r h y s o crue lly wronge d . e tt t t o t The re is a pr y s ory, o o long t repe a he re, of. how Jose ph disclose d himse lf t o his ast onishe d bre t hr n n e , a d forgave t he m t he ir cruelty, how he se nt 3 for his fath er t o come t o Egypt t o live ne ar him, how t he re was a joyful re union, and ho w t hey all ” a live d happily e ve r ft e r . h Whe n t e time dre w n e ar for Israel t o die , he t o e ‘ de sire d b st ow his last ble ssing on his sons . And ﬁrst of all his b e love d so n Jose ph brought him his w own t o boys, Ephraim and Manasse h . h Now according t o t e t raditions Of t he patriarchs, it was the elde st s o n who should re ce ive the choice st ble sm e n s g from his fathe r . Isra l, howe ve r,had fou d among his own sons that it was a younge r o n e ,

Joseph,who had prove d himse lf the most worthy of h i love . This m ay ha ve shake n his faith in t e w sdom h l a t o o he e e e e of t e O d cust om . Pe rh ps, , r m mb r d ho w his own boyhood had be e n made unhappy be cause he was the younge r son, an d how he had on t hat account b e e n t e mpt e d t o de ceit . t h at h Wha e ve r t e re ason, he surprise d Jose ph t e

t e t a e e e e t he u e las mom n by showing _ pr f r nc for yo ng r ‘ of the two grandsons, Ephraim, e xpre ssing this pre h t fe re nce by laying the right hand,inst e ad of t e le f ,

n Th t e e o his h e ad . e ble ssing was spoke n in h s t e solemn words God, b e fore whom my fa h rs d Abraham an d Isaac did walk, the God which fe

ISRAEL BLESSING THE SONS OF JOSEPH 11 me all my life long unt o t his day, the Ange l which h ” re de e me d m e from all e vil, ble ss t e lads . 1 “ The narrative re lat e s that Whe n Joseph s aw that his fathe r laid his right hand upon the he ad of Ephraim,it disple ase d him ; and he h e ld up his

’ " ’ fathe r s hand, t o re move it fro m Ephraim s he ad ’ a unt o Man asse h s he ad . And Joseph s id unt o his

t t o t t th ﬁ fa he r, No s , my fa he r : for his is e rst ’ born ; put thy right h and upon his he ad . And his fathe r re fuse d, an d said, I know it, my s on , I know it : he also shall b e come a p e ople, and he also shall be gre at ; but truly his younge r brothe r shall be gre at e r t han he, and his see d shall be come ’ h a multit ude of nations . And e ble sse d t he m that day, saying, In t hee shall Israel ble ss, saying, God ’ make t he e as Ephraim, an d as Manasse h ; an d he ” set Ephraim b e fore Manasseh .

‘ t he As we compare picture with the st ory, it is h e asy t o ide ntify t e figure s . W e are nat urally 1n t e re st e d in Jose ph as the he ro of s o many romantic t O ffih adve nt ure s . As a high Egyp ian cial, e make s a a e an d e t dignifie d app e ar nc w ars a rich urban .

His face is ge ntle and amiable, as we should e xp e ct of a lovin g s o n and forgivin g broth e r . In t he old man we s e e the same Jacob who wre stle d by night with the Ange l and was re de em e d r Th t f om his life of selﬁshn e ss . e same s rong face is

e e t e e l h r , sof n d by sorrow an d made t ende r by ove . The ye ars h ave c ut de ep lin e s of charact e r in the forehe ad, and the ﬂowing b e ard has b e come snowy w hite . 1 Ge n e s s c h r l — i a t e viii . ve rse s 1 7 2 0 , p x . 12 REMBRANDT

Th t a e dying pa ri rch has st re ngthe ne d himself, i h t o S t up on t e be d for his last duty, and his Son t Th Joseph suppor s him . e childre n kne el t oget her by the b e dside , t he little Ephraim b ending his ’ fair he ad humbly t o re ceive his grandfathe r s right han d, Manasse h looking up ale rtly, almost re se nt fully, as he se e s that hand passing ove r his own ’ ’

e t o t e . e e e at the h ad his bro h r s Jos ph s wif As n h, . ’ childre n s mothe r, stands b e yond, looking on mus at it a t in g ly . W e se e th is mome n of ve ry solemn h ’ int e re st t o all conce rne d . Though t e patriarch s eye s are dim an d his hand t re mble s, his old dete r min e d spirit make s it self manife st . Joseph is in p e rplexity b etwe e n his ﬁlial re spe ct and his solici

- t ﬁrst . He t e e t ude for his born pu s his ﬁng rs g n ly ’ unde r his father s wrlst, t rying t o lift t he hand t o Th t e e e t o e t h t a . e e o h e r he d mo h r s ms smil , as if ’ she e the t e s well cont e nt . Pe rhaps shar s grandfa h r pre fe re nce for little Ephraim . The pict ure is a study in t he thre e age s of man

’ ld a t t childhood, manhood,an d O g e, brough ogethe r by the most t e nde r an d sacre d tie s of human life, in the circle of the family . THE ANGEL RAPHAEL LEAVING THE FAMILY O F TO BIT

THE st ory of Tobit is found in what is calle d the

Apocrypha, t hat is, a colle ction of books writt e n h ve ry much in t e mann e r of the Bible,and forme rly bound in Bible s b etwe e n the Old an d t he Ne w

Te st ame nt .

The st ory goe s that when En em e ssar, King of

Assyria,conque re d the pe ople of Israel, he le d away

many of the m captive int o Assyria, among the m

the family of Tobit, his wife Anna, an d the ir s o n tt e e t e Tobias . They se le d in Nin v h,and Tobi , b ing e t t he an hon e st man, was made purv yor o king .

That is, it was his busm e ss t o provide food for the ’ king s house hold .

' In this office he was able t o lay up a g o o d de al of

mon e y, which he place d for safe ke eping 1 11 t he

hands of Gabael, an Israelit e who live d at R age s in

t a man an d he Me dia . Tobi was ge ne rous , did many kind de e ds for his le ss fort unat e fe llow e xile s ; he delight e d in fee ding the hungry and clothing the

nake d .

Whe n Se nnach e rib was king of Assyria, many

Je ws we re slain and left lying in the stre e t , an d t d Tobi , ﬁn ing t heir n egle ct e d bodie s, burie d th em

se t . cre ly On e night,afte r some such de e d of mercy, 14 REMBRANDT h fﬂt . a sad a ic ion b efell him W it e ﬁlms came over

his e ye s, causing t ot al blindn e ss . In his distre ss h he praye d t hat e might die , an d b e gan t o m ake pre parations for de ath . He calle d his s o n Tobias t o him an d gave him much good advice as to his mann e r of life , an d t he n de sire d him t o go t o Rage s t o t a the e e t t e e t l B ob in mon y l f h r wi h Gabae . ut Tobias must ﬁrst se e k a guide for the journ e y: h “ " The refore , says t e st ory, whe n he we nt t o

m n h a h se e k a a , e found R p ae l t hat was an ahg ell

But he kn e w n o t ; an d he said unto him, Canst t hou go wit h me t o Rage s an d knowe st thou t hose h h place s well " To w om t e ange l said, I will go h with t he e , an d I know t e way we ll : for I have ’ l Th v lodge d with our brothe r Gabae . e angel ga e himself t he name Azarias So t he y we nt f o rth ’ n d t h a h both, a e young m n s dog with t e m . “ As t hey we nt on the ir journey,t hey came In the .

e t o the e an d t e e v ning riv r Tigris, h y lodged the re . And wh e n the young m an we nt down t o flwash him h self, a fish le ap e d o ut of t e rive r, an d would have the e de voure d him . Then ang l said unt o him, ’ h m n h fih . t Take t e s And e young a laid hold of

n w it t l ' t he ﬁsh, a d dre o and . To whom t he an ge l

h n h said, Op e n t e ﬁsh a d t ak e t e gall, and put it up ’ t he a h safely . So young man did s t e angel com h man de d him, an d whe n t hey ad roast e d t he fish, t e e at it t e t e b t e t w h y did h n h y o h w n on the ir ay, t ill t hey dre w n e ar t o Ecbat an e . The n the young man said t o the angel, Brothe r Azarias, t o what use

’ ' is t he gall of the ﬁsh " An d he said unt o him, It A 0 Ad . Brmm Cle . P t J d w N. S on S , ho o ohn n re , c . T HE AN GEL RAPHAEL LEAV I N G T HE FAM ILY O F T O BIT

The Louv Pa re, rt s

1 8 REMBRANDT praise him for the thin g s which he hath don e un t c ” you in the sight of all that live . With t his sole mn introduction the ange l goe s or t o t ell Tobit t hat he had b ee n with him whe n ' he hac burie d his de ad count rymen,and t hat his good de e ds

‘ we re n ot hid from him, an d that his praye rs we re H re me mb ere d . e conclude s by Showing who he re ally is .

I am Raphael, o n e of the se ve n holy an gels .

which pre se nt the praye rs of the saint s, and whicl

“ an d o ut e e t he h n go in b for glory of t e Holy O e .

The n they we re bot h t rouble d, and fell upor

: t But he a un t the ir face s for he y fe are d God . s id c ‘ i the m, Fe ar n o t , for t sh all go well wit h you a t e e e n o t a o f pr ise God h r for . For of any f vor

mine, but by thewill of our God I cam e ; whe re fore All t praise him for e ve r . he se days I did appea

unt o you but I did n eithe r eat nor drink, but y

o w t e e f e did se e a vision . N h r or give God thanks ’ for I go up t o him t hat se nt me . And whe t he y arose, t hey saw him no more . The picture shows us the mome nt when the sudde nly rise s from the midst of t he little an d strike s o ut 0 11 his ﬂight through the

b t an d a a strong swimme r . To i Tobi s f ll on h kn e e s wit hout ,while Anna an d t e bride Sara in t he op e n door with t he fright e n e d little

The e e e are 0 cowering b e side them . old r p opl

come wit h wonde r an d awe , but Tobias and S

more bold, follow t he radiant V1s10 n wit h rapt

gaze . THE RAT KILLER

THE picture s we have examine d t hus far in this c olle ction have b e e n reprod uctions from Re m ’ s e at h brandt s paintings . You will e once t hat t e R Th pict ure of the at Kille r is of anothe r kind . e figure s an d obj e ct s are indicat e d by lin e s inst e ad of " a it a by masse s of color . You would c ll a dr wing, and it is in fact a drawmg of o n e kind,but prop e rly sp e aking, an et ching . An e t ching 1s a drawin g made on copp e r by me ans of a n e e dle . The e tche r first cove rs t he surface of the met al wit h a laye r of s ome waxy substance an d draws his pict ure through ” t t u i his coa ing, or e t ching gro nd, as t is calle d. Next he imme rse s t he C oppe r plat e in an acid bath ” which bit e s, or groove s, t he m e t al along the line s he has drawn without affe cting t he p arts pro t e ct d t he e t e by ching ground . Th t e t h e pla hus as a pict ure c ut into it s surface , an d e t t e ma be t e fill impr ssions of his pic ur y ak n by ing the lin e s wit h ink an d pre ssing wet pap er t o the a l surf ce of the plat e . You wi l notic e that the dif fe re nc e b e t we e n the work of an e ngrave r an d t hat of an et che r is that the forme r cuts the line s in his plat e w t i h e ngravin g t ools, while the latt er only draws t e the t th h his pic ur on pla e and e acid cut s t e lin e s . 2 0 REMBRANDT

The t e e th word e ching is d riv d from e Dut ch e tz en , a n d the most famous e t che rs in the world have b e e n n t an d e t t amo g Du ch G rman ar is s.

Rembrandt IS e asily ﬁrst of t he se , and we should have but a limit e d ide a of his work If we did n o t e hi xamine some of s pict ure s of t his kind . Impre s m h sions ade dire ctly from t e original plat e s, ove r

wo r t ce nt urie s ag o , a e , of course , very rare and

valuable, and are care fully pre se rve d in the gre at e e h i librari s and mus ums of t e world . There s a

“ t th ‘ colle c ion in e Muse um Of Fin e Art s, Boston,

he e t e t t he Rat K ma w r his ching of ille r y be se e n . The Rat Kille r is o n e of many subj e ct s from the

e e e e th sc n s of common lif which surround d e artist .

In smalle r t owns and village s, t he n as we ll as now, t he re we re no large Shops whe re goods we re t o be

u ll an d bo ght . Inste ad, a sorts of pe ddle rs t raveling me chanics we nt from house t o house — t he knife

e th a a th e an d a t grind r, e r gm n, e ﬁddl r, m ny o he rs .

This picture of t he Rat Killer sugge st s . a ve ry O dd Th t 1s e occupation . e p e st of ra s , of cours , much

. gre at e r in old than in n e w co untrie s . In Europe, and pe rhaps particularly in the north e rn countrie s of Holland an d Germany, the old t owns an d village s have long b ee n infe st e d wit h the se trouble some cre at ure s .

n The re are some curious le ge nds abo ut th em . O e d relat e s ho w a ce rt ain Bishop Hatt o, as a ju gme nt t for his sins, was att acke d by an army of ra s which swam across the Rhine and invade d him in his t e island t owe r, whe re they made short work of h ir A d w 8: Son S c . John n re , T HE RAT K ILLER

Fz rze Art Bo ton M useum of s , s

THE RAT KILLER 2 3

1 t e t e how t e e n victim . Ano h r lls a own call d Ham li was ove rrun with rat s un til a magic pip e r appe are d who s o charme d t he m wit h his e nchant e d music that they gat he re d about him and followe d his le ading 2 till the y came t o the rive r an d we re drown e d . The old Rat Kille r in the pict ure looks sa spi It h cio usly like a magician . se e ms as if e must have b e witche d the rats which crawl friskily about u H him, o n e p e rching on his sho lde rs . e reminds o n e of some ogre o ut of a fairy tale, with his strange t all cap, his kilt e d coat , and baggy t rousers, the mon ey pouch at his b elt, the fur mantle ﬂung

n th ﬁr - ove r o e shoulde r, and e e c e looking sword

But t e dangling at his side . h re is no magic in his way of killing rat s . He has som e rat p0 1so n t o sell which his appre ntice , a miserable little cre a ture , carrie s in a large bo x . The picture give s us an ide a of an old Dutch

The t r village stre et . cot age s a e built ve ry low, Th with st e ep overhanging roofs . e walls are of t hick masonry, for t he se we re days whe n in small ’ village s and outlying districts e ve ry man s house ” w hi ’ as i s castle , that is, e very man s house was in t e nde d, ﬁrst o f all, as a place of de fe nse against outlawry . The e t n rance doors we re made in two se ctions, e an upp r and a lowe r part, or wing, e ach swinging it s on own hinge s . Whe n eve r a knock came , t he householder could op en the uppe r wing and addre ss

1 ’ Se e Southe s m y poe , Bishop Hatto . 2 ’ Se e Bro wn in s o e m The Pied Pi er H i g p , p of amel n . REMBRANDT h t e caller as through a window, ﬁrst learning who he was an d what his e rrand, b e fore ope ning the

t t a an lowe r par o dmit him . Thus unwe lcome in t r a de r could n o t pre ss his way int o the house by the ’ door s b ein g O p e n e d at his knock, and t he family

n o t b t n e e d e ake n unaware s . In many of our mod

n w e r house s e se e doors made aft e r the same plan , ” an d known as Dut ch doors . The cautious old man in the pict ure has no in t e n t e e e a ion of b ing impos d upon by wand ring f kirs .

“ He has op en e d o n ly the uppe r do o r an d le ans on t he lowe r wing, as on a gat e, while he list e ns t o the ’ Th Rat Kille r s story . e latt er must have a marvel lous tale t o t ell of the e ffe ct s of the poison ,from t he colle ction of dead rats which he carrie s as t rophie s

h a t a t th hi in t e b ske f s e n e d t o e long pole in s hand . But the house holde r impatie ntly pushe s his h an d Th b ack, and t urns away as if with disgust . e appre ntice, grot e sque little rat himself, looks up rather awe struck at this grand, t urban e d ﬁgure above him .

2 6 REMBRANDT

ﬁnd some preparation which would change baser

e - me t als int o gold . This hop d for pre paration was ’ ” spoke n of as the philosophe r s stone .

' No w mode rn le arning has change d t h e se vague experime nt s int o e xact s cie nc e ; astronomy has re

place d astrolog y,and che mistry has t ake n the place of

e e t e e t e e a e e e t alche my . N v r h l ss h s ch ng s w r brough ’ 1 about only ve ry gradually, an d in t he 7 th c e n t iI ry,

whe n Re mbrandt live d an d paint e d this picture, a gre at stir was made by the n e w ide as of ast ronomy h v t aught by Galile o in It aly, and t e n ew dis c o e rles

’ m a e Van e t e In che mistry d by H lmon , in B lgium . Many philosophe rs still held t o the old b elie fs of

astrology and alche my . It is n ot like ly t hat Rembrandt had an y o n e h the t p ilosophe r in mind as subj e c of his picture .

That his philosophe r is something of a scholar, we

judge from the t abl e at which he sits, litt e re d with h writing m at erials . Ye t e se ems t o care le ss for

reading t han for thinking, as he sit s with hands

e la e u clasp d in his p and his h ad sunk pon his bre ast .

He we ars a loose , ﬂowing garment like a dre ssing

gown, an d his b ald h e ad is prot e ct e d by a small ’ skull c ap . His is an ide al place for a philosophe r s

Th r t t t t e t musings . e walls a e so hick ha h y shu o ut h the n e t e . all confusing ois of world A single . window let s in light e nough t o re ad by through it s

It a a e tt b many tiny pan e s . is b r li le room,t o e s ure,

i h - with t s ungarnis e d walls and st on e pave d ﬂoor, but if a philosoph er has the ordinary n e e ds Of life

supplie d he want s no luxurIe s . He asks for nothing

THE PHILOSOPHER IN MEDITATION 2 9 more t han quiet an d unint e rrupt e d le isure in which

n t o pursue his me dit atio s . Our philosophe r 18 we ll t ake n care of for while his t hought s are on highe r t hings an d e t e rn al t ruths,

l at t he ﬁr t h an O d woman is busy e in e corne r . Evidently she looks aft e r the mat e rial an d t emporal

She e e the e t an d t hings of life . kn ls on h ar h hangs

h Th r li h t e e a . ﬁ a ket tle ove r e ch rful bl ze e e g t glows on he r face an d gle ams h e re an d t he re on the brasse s

h - hanging in t e chimney pie ce above . He re is promise of something good t o come , an d whe n the philo so phe r is rouse d from his musings there will be a ho t suppe r ready for him . The re are t wo myst e rie s in t he room which arouse ’ t he a th our curiosity . In w ll b ehind e philosophe r s chair is a lo w, arche d door he avily built with large t e a t o e t e hinge s . Doe s his l d som sub rran e an cavern, and what se cre t doe s it contain Is it a laborat ory whe re, wit h ale mbic and crucible , t he philosophe r se arche s the se cre t s of alche my and t rie s t o ﬁnd the “ ’ philosopher s st on e Is some hid t re asure st ore d up t he re, as pre cious and as hard t o reach as the hidde n t rut hs t he philosophe r t rie s t o discove r A t the right side of the room a broad, winding st aircase rise s in large Spirals an d disapp e ars in the m it gloo above . W e follow with wonde ring e ye s which t ry t o pierce the darkne ss and s e e whithe r it le ads . Pe rhaps t he re is an upp e r chamb e r with windows ope n t o the sky whe nc e the philosophe r t s udie s the stars . This place wit h it s winding st air case would be j ust such an observatory as an ast ro 30 REMBRANDT

i loge r would like . Inde e d t sugge st s at once the t owe r on the hillside n e ar Flore nce whe re Galile o passe d his de clining ye ars .

Our philosophe r, t o o , is an old m an ; his hair has b e e n whit e ne d by many wint e rs, his face trace d ove r with many lin e s of thought . Even if his problems have n o t all b e e n solve d he has found rich s atisfac tion in his t hinking ; the e n d of his me ditations is Th a t o Th ‘ . e a p e ace e day is dr wing a close . w ning light falls t hrough t he window an d illumine s t he ’ t h philosophe r s ve n e rable face . It hrows t e upp e r spiral of t he st airway into bold re lie f,an d brings o ut Th a all the b e autiful curve s In It s st ruct ure . e b ﬁre tt e t ran sﬁure d . e e t li l room is g This is ind d a dwellin g- place for a philosoph e r whose t houghts, p e n etratin g dark myst e rie s, are at last light ed by some gleams of the ideal . THE GO OD SAMARITAN

THE story of the Good Samaritan was relat e d by t Je sus t o a ce rt ain lawye r as a p arable , hat is, a

The e t t o story t o t each a moral lesson . obj c was show what was t rue n elg hbo rly conduct ; and this ' 1 was the st ory A certain man we nt down from Je rusale m t o

Je richo,and fell among thie ve s, which stripp e d him of his raIme n t , and wounde d him, an d de part e d, le aving him half dead . And by chance t here came do wn a ce rtain prie st that way ; an d whe n he saw

h t n him, he passe d by on t e o he r Side . A d like wise h h a Le vite ,whe n e was at t e place,came an d looke d t h on him, and passe d by on e othe r side .

But a ce rtain Samaritan, as he journ eye d, came whe re he was : and whe n he saw him, he had com passion o n him, and we nt t o him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine , an d s et him on his own b e ast, and brought him t o an inn, and t ook

t he w h care Of him . And on morro wh e n e depart e d, h e t ook o ut t wo p e nce , and gave t h e m t o the host , and said un t o him, Take care of him and whatso e ver thou spe nde st more, whe n I come again I will ’ repay the e . 1 k h — St . u e c a e x. e r 0 L , pt r v ses 3 37 . 32 REMBRANDT

T h i he point of t e story s ve ry plain, an d when Je sus aske d the lawye r which o n e of the t hre e pas — t o t h se rs by was a n e ighbor e wounde d man , he was ” He at force d t o re ply, th sh e we d me rcy . The n said Je sus simply, GO, an d do t ho u like wise Though t he sce n e of t he st ory is laid in Pale s h tin e , it is t e sort of incide nt which o n e c an imagine

“ t a an king place in y country or p eriod of time . SO it se e ms p e rfe ctly prope r that Rembrandt , In repre h senting t e subj e ct , should Show us an Old Dht ch Th t t t t t m sce ne . e e ching illus ra e s ha ome nt whe n the Good Samaritan arrive s at the inn, followe d by the wounde d t rave le r mount e d on his horse . The building is a quaint pie ce of archit e cture with i arche d doors and windows . That t was built with an eye t o possible at tacks from thie ve s and outlaws, we may se e from the small windows and thick walls of masonry,which make it look like a miniature for

is e t an r t re ss . This a lon ly spo , d inns a e fe w and Th far b et we e n . e plast e r is cracking and crum bling from t he surface, and the whole app earance of

' the place doe s n o t bet oke n great thrift on the part th of the own e rs . On e pre se nt occasion,during the working hours of t he day, doors and windows are

Ope n aft e r the hospitable mann e r of an in n .

The host stands in t he doorway, g re etmg the strange rs, an d the Good Samaritan is e xplaining

h ti h n n r t he sit uation t o him . In t e me an me t e i se ’ vant s have come forward : the hostle r s boy holds the horse by t he bridle, while a man lifts o ff the w u o nde d traveler .

THE GOOD SAMARITAN 35

A th are the a bout e dooryard usu l signs of life .

In the re ar a woman draws wat e r from a we ll,lower ing the b ucket from the e n d of a long well- swe ep h h h e e dle ss of t e stir about t e door . Fowl scrat ch about in se arch of food, an d the re is a dog at o n e

o n t n side . Some e wi hi looks with idle curiosity th t t he I from e window in o yard . t is little t ouche s like t he se which give the sce n e such v1v1 dn e ss and i re al ty . ' The re is also a re markable expre ssiven e ss in the ﬁur t h e s e t t at g which lls e s ory a glance . You can t at t he se e jus wh Good Samaritan is s ayin g, as he

t n ge s ure s wit h his left hand, a d you c an gue ss the ’ - a h h inn ke epe r s reply . Alre dy e has put t e prof h h fe re d money int o t e walle t e carrie s at his b elt, h H t e att e t e t o t e O e e . e and lis ns n iv ly , rd rs giv n him ’ may privat ely wond e r at his gue st s singular kind n e ss t o a st ran ge r,but with him busin e ss is busin e ss, ’ ’ hi o ut his e t an d s place is t o carry gu s s wishe s . ’ h t a fﬁ You see o w the hos le r s boy m gniﬁe s his o ce, h swagge ring with le gs wide apart . Eve n t e fe ath e r in his c ap bristle s wit h importance . This bit of comedy contrast s with the almost tragic e xpre ssion

“ n Th t of the wounde d ma . e s olid fe llow who lift s him see ms t o hurt him very much, and he clasps his h ands in an agony of pain . He se e ms t o be t elling the ge ntleman at the window of his re ce nt misfo r t un e .

To st udy the picture more critically, it will be int e re sting t o notice ho w t he import ant ﬁgure s are masse d t ogethe r in the ce ntre , and ho w the compo 36 REMBRANDT i sitio n s built int o a pyramid . Draw a line from ’ h - e e e a th t e inn ke p r s h d down e st airway at the le ft, ’ and follow t he outlin e of the Good Samaritan s right shoulde r along t he body of the wounde d t h t ravele r, an d you have e ﬁgure . This pyramidal form is e mphasize d again by the wainscot of t he

an d h - h stairway at t he left , t e we ll swe ep at t e right . th a t h To appre ciat e fully e ch rac e r of t e e t ching , O n e must e xamin e att e ntively all t he diffe re nt kinds of line s which prod uce the varying effe ct s of light the tu and shadow . B elow pic re Rembrandt wrot e his nam e and the dat e 1633, with t wo Latin words me aning that he de signe d and e t che d the plat e him m self . This would se e t o Show that he was we ll ple ase d with his work, an d it is int e re sting t o learn h t hat t e gre at Ge rman poet, Goethe, admire d the t composition ex ravagantly . THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE

THE story which the picture of the Pre se ntation ill ustrat e s is a st ory of t he infancy of Je sus Christ .

According t o t he custom of the J e ws at t hat time , t o e very male child was pre se nt e d, or de dicat e d, h r t e Lo d whe n about a mont h old . Je sus was born in B e thle he m of J udaea, a small t own about four mile s from t he city of Je rusale m,t he Je wish capit al, h h t wh e re t e t e mple was . Wh e n e was abou a month old, his mothe r Mary an d her husb and Jo h h sep , who we re de vout Je ws, brought him t o t e gre at city for the c e re mony of t he pre sent ation In h t he t e mple . Now t e t e mple was a g re at place of worship whe re many religious cere monie s were t aking h place all t e time .

‘ Ordinarily, a party coming up from the country for some re ligious obse rvance would not attract any h Bu spe cial at te ntion among t e worshippers . t on the day wh e n the infant Je sus was pre se nt e d in t he m t Th t e ple , a ve ry strange hing occurre d . e e van 1

li t . t t h g e st S Luke rela e s e Circumst ance s .

And b e hold,the re was a man in Je rusale m whose n am e was Sime on ; and t he same man was just an d de vout, waiting for the consolation of Israel : and

1 — t . uke h e rse s 2 5 5. S L ,c apt e r 11 . v 3 38 REMBRANDT t he Holy Ghost was upon him . And it was re ve ale d unto him by the Holy Ghost t hat he should n ot s e e ’ t e e h had h de a h, b for e se e n t e Lord s Christ . And he came by the Spirit int o the t e mple : an d wh e n h t e pare nts brought in the child Je sus, t o do for th him aft e r e cust om of the law, t he n t ook he him i up n his arms,an d ble sse d God,an d said,Lord,now tt e t t t h le s hou y se rvant de part in p e ace, according t o t hy word : for min e e ye s have se e n thy salvat ion which thou hast pre pare d b e fore t he face of all pe o l p e , a light t o light e n the Gentile s and the glory of h t y p e ople Israel . And Jose ph and his mothe r marvele d at those t w hings hich we re spoke n o f him . And Sime on ble sse d th e m,an d said unt o Mary his moth e r,Be hold t his child is set for t he fall and rising again of many in Israel ; and for a Sign which shall be spoken against ; that the t hought of many hearts may be re ve ale d .

In the pict ure we ﬁnd ourselve s,as it were,among ’ the worshippe rs in the t emple, looking at the group on the paveme nt in front of us Mary an d Jose ph and Sime on , kne eling b e fore a or l I i Go thic c at he dral e t e e e . t s hr on ook rs a l , in whos

dim re ce sse s many p e ople move hithe r an d thithe r . At t he right is a long ﬂight of st e ps leading t o a ” a a t hron e, which is overshadowe d by huge c nopy . At t he t o p of the st e ps we se e the high prie st se at e d

with hands out stre t che d, re ce iving the p e ople who

It was t a t t a throng up t he st airway . ow rds his s ir

' way that Mary and Joseph were makin g their way, Han fs t nen l P t J A d w Son Sc . g . ho o ohn n re , T HE PR ES EN TATI O N IN T HE T EM PL E

The H ag ue Gallery

42 REMBRANDT

e as t e e e e e t o c ap. S uch humbl folk h s alon s m have ’ t ime t o notice othe rs affairs . It must n o t be suppose d that t his sce n e ve ry

e e e t the a t a e e t it t at s closely r pr s n s c u l v n illus r e . The p aint e r Re mbrandt kn e w nothing about t he archit e ct ure of the old Je wish t emple de stroye d t t many ce nt urie s b e fore . A Go hic ca h e dral was the

ﬁne st house of worship known t o him,so he thought

ut th e as it o e sc n e would look in such surroundings . V The pe ople coming and going we re such as he s aw abo ut him daily ; the be ggars looking at the Christ

child w e re the be ggars o f Amst e rdam, and the men se at e d in the woode n se ttle at the right we re like

t he e e t a e t e a uain t an r sp c bl Du ch burgh rs of his q c e . " h t It ,was like t ranslatin g t e s ory from Aramaic t o

h n Dut ch , but in t e proce ss nothi g is lost of it s

original t ouching b e auty . h In studying t e pict ure, you must notice how

care fully all the ﬁgure s are paint e d, e ve n t he ve ry

e t he a e t a t t he m t small on s in d rk s p r s of co posi ion . w The b e a ut iful contrast , b et e e n the light on t he ce ntral group and the soft dimn e ss of the remot e r

part s of the cathe dral, illustrat e s a style of work for

which Re mbrandt was ve ry famous, and which we

shall oft en se e in his pictures . C HRIST PREACHING

’ W E read in the e vangelist s re cord of the life of Je sus that he w e nt about the count ry pre aching the gospel (or t he good n e ws) of the kingdom of h a e th He ave n . Sometime s e pre ch d in e synagogue on the Sabbath day ; but more oft e n he talke d t o

the p e ople in the op e n air, som etime s o n the moun

t ain - side, sometim e s on the shore of t he lake Gen

n e saret , or again in the stre e ts of th eir t owns . The scrib e s an d Pharise e s were j e alous of his popularity, an d angry b e cause he expose d t he ir The m hypocrisy. proud and rich found any of his O i wa h sayings t o o hard t o accept . S t s t e poor

and unhappy who we re most e age r t o h e ar him, a t and th ey ofte n forme d a large p r of his audie nce .

Je sus himself rejoice d in this class of followe rs, an d ’ whe n John t he B aptist s me sse ngers came t o him t o h h inquire int o his mission, e sent back t e me ssage , ” Th a h t e poor h ve t e gospel pre ach e d o th em .

In this picture of Christ Pre aching, we se e that ’ his he are rs are of just the kind t hat t he pre ach e r s

- h me ssage is int e nde d for, t e we ary an d h e avy r f lade n whom he calle d t o himself . The re a e a e w h dignit arie s in t e gathering, it is t rue , st anding pompously by in the hop e of ﬁnding somet hing to REMBRANDT

But tt t criticise . Je sus pays no a en ion t o them as he looks down int o the face s of t he list e ne rs who most

- n e e d his words . His pulpit is a square coping st one

“ in a courtyard, and t he pe ople gathe r about him iii

e t he t t e e t t a circl in posi ions mos conv ni n t o h em .

Th ere is no formality he re, no cere mony ; e ach

n ma h o e y come and go as e please s . Here i s a “ mot her sitting on the ground dire ctly in front of . h t e spe ake r, holding a bab e in he r arms, while a , t th little fellow sprawls o u on e ground b e side he r,

” h ‘ drawing on t e sand wit h his ﬁnge r . Though we i cannot s e e he r face,we know that she is an absorb e d

t e e e t o e a d e t t h r lis e n er, and J sus s ms sp k ir c ly o e . A pathe tic- looking man b eyond he r is trying t o . t ake in t he me ssage in a wonde ring way, and a long- b e arde d man b e hind him is so arouse d t hat he le ans e age rly forward t o catch e ve ry word . The re are othe rs, as i s always t he case , who list e n very f stolidly as if quit e indif e re nt . Again t he re are t wo who ponde r the subj e ct t — t . On e e t hough fully of h se is i n the re ar, a ’ man e a o n u young , p rh ps e of Je s s discipl e s , the t i n ot he r si s front crossing his legs, and support hi h s t a . t e at the ing chin wi h his h nd In group . right of Je sus we c an e asily pick o ut t he scoffe rs t “ an d cri ics, list e ning int e ntly, some of the m more t e e a t a h int e re s d, p rh ps, h n t hey ad expe ct e d t o be . A at e S we look J sus himself,s o ge ntle and t e nde r, rai smg both hands as if t o ble ss the company, we fe el sure t hat he is sp e aking some me ssage of com

n da h fort . O e y whe n e was re ading the Script ure s

CHRIST PREACHING 47 h in the synagogue at Cape rnaum, e sele ct e d a pas

sage which de scribe d his O wn work, and which per

fectly applie s t o t his picture . W e can imagin e that he is saying : The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me b e cause the Lord hath anoint ed me t o preach ’ good tidings unt o the me e k ; he hath se nt m e t o

bind up the broke nhe art e d, t o proclaim libe rty t o h the captive s, an d t e ope ning of the prison t o t he m that are bound ; t o proclaim the accept able ye ar of h ‘ the Lord, an d t e day of ve ngeance of our God ; t o comfort all that mourn t o appomt unt o the m t hat m mourn in Z ion, t o give unt o t he b eauty for ashe s, h t he t t e oil of joy for mourning, garme n of praise ” for the spirit of he avin e ss . a t t at h ﬁ It is a notice able f c h t e gure s in this ar u pict ure of Christ pre aching e D tch typ e s . If you t hink that this is a strange way t o illustrat e sce ne s

' t which t ook place in Pale s in e many ce nt urie s ag o , you must re me mb e r t hat t he pict ure was drawn by a Dut chman who kn e w nothing Of Pale stin e,and in tt e o f an t t e dee d li l y coun ry ou sid his own Holland . He wishe d t o make t he life of Christ se e m re al and vivid t o his own count rym e n and the only way he could do t his was t o represe n t the sce n e s in t he sur t am t o e t o t e Th roundings mos f iliar hims lf and h m . e artist was simply t rying t o imagin e what Je sus would do if he had come t o Amst e rdam in the se ve nt e e nth century,inst e ad of t o Jerusale m in the ﬁrst c e ntury somewhat as ce rt ain mode rnwrit ers hav e trie d t o think what would t ake place If Je sus cam e t o Chicago, ” or If Je sus came t o Bost on , in the nin et e e nth c en REMBRANDT

Th e et n th t ury . e sw ge ntle e ss in e face of Christ and the e age r att e ntion of t he p e ople Show how we ll Re mbrandt unde rst ood the re al me aning of the Ne w

Te st ament . This pict ure is worthy of ve ry spe cial st udy be cause it is re ckon e d by critics o n e of the b e st of ’ 1 n Re mbrandt s et chings . O e e nthusiastic writ er says t hat the full maturity of his ge nius is e x ” n e presse d in e ve ry fe at ure . O must know a gre at deal about the t e chnical proc e sse s of e t ching, t o appre ciat e fully all t he se excelle ncie s ; but e ve n an ine xpe rience d eye c an se e how fe w an d simple are the line s which produce such st rikin g effe ct s of light and shadow : a scrat ch or two he re , a fe w paralle l line s drawn diagonally t he re ; some coarse cross hat chin g in o n e place , close r hat ching in anoth e r ; now and t he n a spot Of the black ink it self, and the whole scen e is made alive, with Je sus stand i n g i n the midst,the light gleaming full upon his

ﬁgure . 1 M h ic el.

50 REMBRANDT

’ What t hings " And t hey said unt o him, Conce rn ’ ing Je sus of Nazaret h . The n followe d a conver sation in which t hey t old the s trange r somet hing of

Je sus, an d he in t urn e xplain e d t o the m many things about t he life and charact e r of Je sus which t e had h y ne ver unde rst ood .

And th ey dre w nigh unt o the village, whithe r ' they we nt : an d he made as though he would have t But t gon e fur he r . hey constraine d him, saying, ‘ Abide wit h us : for it is t oward e vening, an d the ’ h day is far sp e nt . And e went in t o tarry with t he m . A d n it came t o pass,as he sat at me at with them, he t r ook b e ad, an d ble sse d it, and brake , and gave t o th e m . And their e ye s we re op ene d and they e an d he v a e o ut t e t kn w him ; nish d of h ir sigh s

And t hey said o n e t o anothe r, Did n o t our he arts burn within us, while he t alke d with us by the way The picture sugge st s vividly t o us that wonderf ul moment at Emmaus wh e n the eye s of the disciple s we re op e ned, an d t he y re cognize d th eir gue st as s e t e e Je sus, whom th e y had o r ce n ly s n cruciﬁe d . The t able is laid in a gre at bare room with the com h a mon e st furnishings, and t e disciple s ppe ar t o be laboring me n , accust omed t o plain living and high t hinking They are coarse ly dre sse d, and the ir

n fe e t are bare, as are also the fe et of Je sus . O e se ems t o have graspe d the situation more quickly h than the othe r, for e folds his hands t ogethe r, re vere ntly gazing dire ctly int o the face of Je sus . Ph oco Ad B au 5: O le Mai son r n

CHRIST AT EMMAUS 53

h n His companion , an olde r man, at t e other e d of Th the table , looks up ast onishe d and mystiﬁe d . e boy who is bringing food t o the t able is b usy with his t ask, and doe s n o t notice an y change in J"s a s .

In the midst is Christ, pale , e maciat e d, sitting h facing us, breaking t e bre ad as o n the e ve ning of the Last Supp e r, in his pilgrim rob e, wit h his black h en e d lips, on which t e tort ure has left it s t race s, his gre at brown e ye s soft , widely Ope n e d, an d t raise d t owards he ave n, with his cold n imbus, a sor of phosphore sce nce around him which e nve lops him

n in ﬁn l t t l a e in a de ab e glory, and ha in expic bl look of a bre athing human b eing who certainly has ” passe d through de ath . 1 This de scription is by a ce lebrat e d Fre nch critic, a w h himself a p int e r, who kno s whe re of e spe aks . “ He says that t his picture alon e is e nough t o e stab lish the reputation of a man . The re is o n e artistic quality in the picture t o which we must pay careful att e nt ion,as it is partic u larly charact e ristic of Re mbrandt . This is the way

w h t n r in hich t e ligh a d shadow a e arrange d, or what a t a the a u th t cri ic would c ll chi rosc ro of e pic ure . The heart of t he composition glows wit h a golde n t w e u I ligh hich com s from some nse e n so urce . t falls on t he whit e t able cloth with a dazzling bril lian c as I y if from some bright lamp . t gle ams on h t e fac e s of t he company, bringing o ut the ir e xpre s Th sions cle arly . e arche d re ce ss b ehind t he t able is thrown int o he avy shadow,against which the ce n t r ll t a y ligh e d group is sharply contrast e d .

1 ro m e n in in Old ﬁl a t r o B l iu n F t , s e s f e g m a d Hollan d . 54 REMBRANDT

This singular manne r of bringing light and dark

' f ue ss int o striking opposition make s t he Obj e ct s in

‘ a picture st and o ut ve ry vividly . Some o n e hast “ de ﬁne d chiaroscuro as t he art of re nde ring the ’ atmosphere visible and of painting an obj e ct e iivel ” Op e d in air The art was carrie d t o perfe ction

t e it e e by Re mbrandt . You will no ic mor or l ss in

e ve ry picture of t his colle ction , but nowh ere i s it

more appropriat e t han here , whe re the appe arance

O f Christ, as the source of light , e mphasize s t he myst e ry of the e ve nt an d make s something sacre d

of this common sce ne . AS we compare this picture with the et ching of

Christ Preaching, we g et a b ett e r ide a of Rem ’ H n brandt s ai m in repre se nting Christ . e did o t — t ry t o make his face b eautiful with regular classi h l c al fe at ure s, aft e r the mann e r of t e O d It alian

He n o t e e t it e e a t o painte rs . did v n hink n c ss ry

make his ﬁgure grand and imposing . Some thing still b ett e r Rembrandt sought t o put int o his pic

t ure, and t his was a ge ntle expre ssion of love . PORTRAIT O F SASKIA

W E should have but a ve ry imp erfe ct ide a of ’ Rembrandt s work if we did n o t learn something about the portrait s he paint e d . It was for t he se " t hat he was most e st e e me d in his own day, b e ing the fashionable portrait paint er of Amst e rdam at a time whe n e ve ry p erson of me ans wishe d t o have his e t t like n e ss p aint e d . A coll c ion of his works of his kind would almost bring b ack again the citize ns of Amst e rdam in t he se ve nt e e nt h ce nt ury, so life like are the se wonderful canvase s . Among the m we should ﬁnd t he various m e mb e rs of his family, his fath er an d moth e r, his sist e r, his se rvant , his s o n , an d most int e re sting of all, his belove d wife ,

Saskia .

Saskia was born in Frie sland, o n e of nine chil dre n of a we althy pat rician family . Her fathe r,

Rombertus van Uyle n borch, was a distinguish e d t lawye r, who had had se ve ral importan political mis

t t n h wa sions in rus e d t o him . At o e time e s se nt as a me sse nge r t o William of Orange , and was sitting at t able with that prince just b efore his assassina H 1 tion . e die d in 62 4, le aving Saskia an orphan, as sh had t h r Th e e ﬁ . los mothe r ve ye ars b e fore e little girl of t we lve now b egan t o live in t urn with 56 REMBRANDT

At h a he r marrie d sist e rs . t e g e of twe nty she came t t o Amst e rdam o live for a while wit h he r cousin,

the wife of a minist e r, Jan Corn elis Sylvius, whose ’ a e we o n e Re m t f c know from of brand s et chings . a t e Saskia had also no h r cousin living in Amst erdam,

l n bo r h m n He ndrick van Uy e c , a a of artistic t ast e s,

who had n o t succe e de d as a paint e r,an d had be come

- - a H a de ale r in bric abrac and e ngr vings . e was an Old frie nd of Re mbrandt ; an d whe n the young paint e r came t o se e k his fortun e in the g reat city in

1631, he had made his home for a while with the

art de ale r . It was doubtles s He ndrick who introduce d Rem

a the e t e brandt t o Saskia . Prob bly b ginning of h ir ’ acquaintance was through Re mbrandt s painting ’ “1 Th Saskia s portrait in 632 . e relation b etwe e n t he m soon gre w quit e frie ndly, for in the same ye ar t he young girl sat t wo or thre e time s again t o the Th e t paint e r . e frie ndship pre s n ly e nde d in court

ship, and whe n Re mbrandt pre sse d his suit the

n w marriage se e me d a ve ry proper o e . Saskia as ﬁn of a e family and had a sufﬁcie nt dowry .

Re mbrandt , t hough the s o n of a mille r, was

already a famous paint e r, much sought aft e r for t t w t a e e por rai s, and i h a promising c r r be fore him . The e ngage me nt was t he re fore approve d by he r

guardians,but marriage b eing de fe rre d till she came t w of ag e , the court ship las e d t o happy ye ars . Dur i n g this time Re mbrandt paint e d his lady love o ve r It was o n a t t met o an d ove r again . e of his r is ic h ds

. n o t t o paint the same p erson many time s . He was

PORTRAIT OF SASKIA 59

o n e of the sup erﬁcial paint e rs who t urn constantly

n e t o a t e in e a n w ff s from o e mod l no h r s rch of e e e ct . He like d t o make an e xhaustive st udy of a Single

face in many moods, with many e xpre ssions and

varie d by diff e re nt costume s .

Saskia had small e ye s an d a round nose , an d was a all a t a t o a n o t t be u iful ccording cl ssical standards .

‘ Re mbrandt, howe ve r, care d le ss for b e auty t han for ’ e xpre ssion, and Saskia s face was ve ry e xpre ssive , at t ime s me rry and almost roguish, and again quit e he had a se rious . S lso a brilliant comple xion an d

an abundance of Silky hair, waving from he r fore The t e had e t e t h e ad . pain r coll c d in his s udio many t pretty and fantastic hings t o use in his picture s, velve t s and gold e mbroide re d cloaks,Orie nt al Stuffs, t t lace s, ne cklace s, an d j e wels . W i h he se he love d t o de ck Saskia, height e ning he r girlish charms with

n the play of light upon t he se adornme ts . On e of the most famous of the many portrait s of h t w Saskia at this time is t e pic ure e have he re . R B e cause it is n o t signe d an d date d, aft e r e m ’ i brandt s usual cust om, it is thought that it was n t e nde d as a gift for Saskia he rself, an d t hus it has i a t w t a romantic int e re st for us . Also t is p in e d i h e xtreme care , as the work of a love r off e ring the choice st fruit of his art . The artist has arrange d a pict ure sque costume for his sitt e r, a broad- brimme d hat of re d ve lvet with a swe eping white fe athe r, an e laborat e dress wit h t e mbroide re d yoke an d full sle e ve s, a rich man le

drape d ove r o n e should e r, n e cklace, e arrings, and 6 0 REMBRANDT

H r e e u bracele ts of pe arls . e e xpre ssion is mor s rio s

he re than usual, t hough ve ry happy, as if she was ~ t hinking of he r lo ve r ; an d in he r hand she carries

n e ar he r

Th a 1 e marriage ﬁn ally t ook pl ce in Jun e, 634, in Th a the t own of Bildt . e brid l pair th e n return e d a t o Amst e rdam t o a h ppy hom e life . Re mbrandt had no gre ate r ple asure t han in the quie t family

c ircle , an d Saskia had a simple lo vin g n at ure, e u h ’ tirely de vote d t o e r husband s happine ss . A few

e at a t m e t a ﬁn y ars l e r Re mbr nd ov d in o e house in h t he Bre e st raat ,which e furnishe d richly with choice p aintings an d works of art A succ e ssion Of portraits shows that the paint e r

t e t o a t his e t n con inu d p in wif wi h lovi g pride . He

repre se nt e d her as a Je wish bride, as Flora, as an

e a t a a an d at Odalisqu , Judi h, a Sus nn , a B hshe ba . There is o n e painting of t he husband an d wife t o ’ gethe r, Saskia p e rch e d like a child on Re mbrandt s

e h e e - a the i I kne , as e flourish s a win gl ss in a r. n anoth e r pict ure (an e tching) they sit t ogether at a

t able about the e ve ning lamp, t he wife with he r

n e e dle - work, t he artist with his e ngraving; The love betwe e n t he m is t he bright e st Spot in Re m ’ " brandt s history, cloude d as it was with many dis t A appointme nts and roubl e s . S a ce lebrat e d writ e r i has e xpre sse d t , Saskia was a ray O f sunshine in

the perpet ual chiaroscuro of his life . THE S ORTIE O F THE CIVIC GUARD, O R T HE N IGHT W ATC H

THE pat riotism of the Dut ch is se e n through t he e ntire history of brave little Holland . Early in the sixt e e nth ce nt ury e ve ry t own of conside rable Size had a milit ary company compose d of the most

a a promin e nt citize ns . E ch comp ny, or guild, had a

a a e do elen an d a - r pl ce of ss mbly, or , drilling g ound .

Th fﬁ e e e n a e a an d the e o ce rs w r chos for y r, highe st appointme nt s we re t hose of capt ain , lie ut e n ant, and e nsign . Upon the se civic guards re ste d the respo n sibility of maintaining the orde r an d safe ty of t he

t t a t e t e t own . St e rn e r du ie s h n he s we re h irs whe n in the lat e sixt e e nth ce ntury at the call of h William of Orange ,t e various guilds forme d t he m

t n t e a e t e t th se lve s in o volu e r comp ni s o r sis e Spanish . How well t hey acquit t e d t he mse lve s is a matt e r of history, an d Spain recognize d the republic in t he

1 0 t the m t re aty of 6 9 . Af e r war, any of the corpo rations were re organize d an d continue d t o be of

at t a th t gre impor nce in e se ve n e e nth ce nt ury . The picture we have h e re re pre se nt s the Civic Guard of Amst e rdam during the capt aincy of Frans 1 B annin g Cocq in 642 . Cocq was a man of we alth and influence who had purchase d t he e stat e of Pur 6 2 REMBRANDT merlan d in 16 18 an d had also b ee n grant e d a pat it en t of nobility . SO was nat ural that Lord Pur m e rlan d o n e of the most distinguishe d citize ns of thei b a t own, should e c lle d t o a t e rm of Office as capt ain H t he ar . is a e t t t e an d of Civic Gu d m gnific n s a ur . mn e him e tt e the a ly b aring Show w ll fi d for honor . The pict ure repre se nt s an occasion whe n the

h - guard issue s from t e assembly hall, or doele n , ih a M t sudde n call t o ac ion . C aptain Cocq le ads t he way

t a t - R n with Lie u e n n Willem van uyt e berg ,of Vlae rd ingen, an d as he advance s give s orde rs t o his fellow Th fﬁ. O ce r e drum b e at s, the e nsign unfurls the

da m n a e a stan rd, e ve ry a carrie s w pon of some sort .

On e is priming a musket , anothe r loading his gun,

a e - e a anoth e r ﬁring . A mass of l nc b rers pre ss on t he do from t he re ar . In confusion a g scampe rs

t an d a t the int o the mids b rks furiously a drum . A little girl slips int o t he crowd on the othe r side,

O ddly o ut of place i n such company, but quite fe ar

It has e e e te t at she ma a e le ss . b n sugg s d h y h v b ee n the b e are r of the t idings which calls the guard Th t e a a e forth . e quain ﬁgur is cl d in long dr ss of h h h some shimme ring st uff, an d s e as t e air of a

her e t a a an d small prince ss . From b l h ngs cock, she t urns he r face admiringly t owards the gre at capt ain . W e do n ot know of an y hist orical incide nt which pre cisely corre sponds t o the action in the picture . t a Inde e d, it is n o t st rictly spe aking an his oric l t t a t Of the picture at all, but ra he r a por r i group

‘ t o t e Civic Guard, in at tit ude s appropriat e h ir char

6 6 REMBRANDT

quit e ove rshadowe d by the glory of the capt ain an d t lie ut enant . They hought t hey wo uld have shown t o much b e tt e r advantage arrange d in rows ’ It was Re mbrandt s way whe n painting a portrait h t o give life an d re ality t o t e ﬁgure , by showing t he le adin g ele me nt in t he charact e r or occupation of

h e t e p e rson . Thus his Shipbuild r is de signing a ship,

h m o n l t e writing ast e r, C ppe o , is me nding a pe n , the archit e ct has his drawing ut ensils, an d the pre acher t h his Bible . So in e Civic Guard e ach man carrie s h a weapon, an d t e ﬁgure s are unit e d in Spirit e d I All t a t t t e was t action . his r is ic mo iv los upon those h t for whom t e pic ure was paint e d, b e cause of their h p etty vanity . SO t e gre at paintin g, now s o highly

wa n at th m e st e e me d, s o t a succe ss e ti e . In t he following ce ntury ﬁit was re move d t o the t own hall ; an d in orde r t o t it into a particular w ff place on the wall, a strip as c ut o e ach side the

“ It the t e e a e canvas . is loss of h s m rgins which giv s the composition the crowde d appe aranc e which so long se em e d a st range fault in a gre at artist like

R embrandt . The origin al colors of the painting gre w so dark with t he accumulation of smoke in the hall that t he critics suppose d the sce n e occurre d at night, h enc e the incorre ct name of the Night Watch was give n the t e was e an e 1889 it t o it . Since pic ur cl d, in , is h app are nt that the incide nt occurre d in t e daytime, an d if you look care fully you can plainly se e the ’ ’ shadow of Captain Co c qs hand o n the lie utenant s t unic . ” PORTRAIT O F JAN Si x

W HEN thep aint e r Re mbrandt cam e t o Amst e rdam

in 16 31, a young man se ekin g his fort un e in the

gre at city, a lad of t we lve ye ars was living in his ’ fathe r s country se at , n e ar by, who was lat er t o be

m e . com e o n e of his war fri nds This was Jan Six, h t h t a t t t e subj e c of t e por r i e ching re prod uce d h e re . The re was a gre at cont rast in the circumstan ce s of h life in which t e two frie nds gre w up . Re mbrandt

t he a e an d had a was son of mill r, his own w y t o

J n o ix wa make in the world . a S s surrounde d from his e arlie st years with e ve rything which t ende d t o

h t a his n at a t a t e t t e gra iﬁc tion of ur l s for cul ure . ’ t Re mbrandt s rare t ale n , howe ve r, ove rb alance d an y lack of e arly advant age s, and made hima frie nd worth having . t Six had come of Hugue no t ance s ry . His grand

ath had ﬂe d t o a the u t f e r Holl nd during H gue no pe r se c ution in France , and had b e come a re side nt in ’ 15 at e t e had Amst e rdam in 85. Jan s f h r, ano h r Jan, marrie d a Dut ch lady of good family, whose maide n n i m r I h e ame was Ann a W j e . t was in t e s rvice of ’ this good lady that we ﬁrst he ar of Re mbran dt s

t t the a He a e t o conne c ion wi h Six f mily . was c ll d paint her portrait in 1641 , an d must have the n, if 6 8 REMBRANDT h n o t b efore,made t e acquaint ance of he r young son,

n Jan t e t o a e at e e a e Ja . uni d gr lov of l rning a lov

O f e ve rything b e autiful, and was an arde nt colle ct or

r a t t he Old t a a an of obj e cts of a t . P in ings of I li n d

e t a e t an d variOus arly Du ch , schools,r r prin s curios of H e a t t . e a kinds, we re his de ligh found in R mbr nd e a the a t e man aft e r his o wn he art . Alr dy p in r had gon e far b eyond his me ans in ﬁlling his o wn house O t he t wo m e n a n with costly works of art . S , h vi g

f ' ni a hobby in common, found a strong bond O u on J

" e m a be e t at in t heir conge nial t ast e s . W y sur h w n e w t hey we re O fte n t oge the r, t o Sho t heir pur

chase s an d discuss the ir b e auty .

Rembrandt, as an olde r and more expe rie nce d

colle ct or, would doubtle ss have good advice t o Offe r

his younge r frie nd,and,an artist himself,would know

n how t o judg e corre ctly a work of art . O e record of t heir frie ndship in t he se ye ars is a little e t che d 1 landscape which Re mbrandt made in 6 41, showing h t at Of th a bridge n e ar t e country e s e e Six family, a place calle d Elsbroek, n e ar the village of Hille

gom . It was in 1647 that Re mbrandt made this portrait

e t e t w t - n of his fri nd, h n e n y ni e ye ars of a g e . Six had now b egun t o make a name for himself in the

' ett e h world of l rs as a scholar and poet . He ad alre ady publishe d a poe m on Muide rb erg (a village

t n near Ams e rdam), a d by this time , doubtle ss, had

unde r way his gre at lit e rary work, the t rage dy of h t Medma . Many we re t e time s whe n Rembrand , coming t o his house t o t alk ove r some n e w t reasure P t a d f m i i al tc i J A d w g g g Son Sc . ho o r phe ro or n e h n ohn n re . PO RT RAI T O F JAN S I"

M u eum o Fin e Art Bo to n s f s, s

PORTRAIT OF JAN SI" 7 1

t rove , found him in his library with his he ad burie d It was in a book, an d his thoughts far away . in such a mome nt that he must have had the ide a of

H at e o n e t his be autiful portrait . e c che s his fri nd t day in t he corn e r of his library,s t anding wi h his back t o the windo w t o g et the light on t he book he H t a e t he t e t is re adin g . e r nsf rs pic ur o a Copp e r w plat e an d hands it do n t o fut ure ge ne rat ions . The sle nde r ﬁgure of the young m an i s clad in

t he picture sque dre ss of a ge ntle man of his time ,

- l w with kne e bre e che s an d o shoe s, with wide whit e , a t collar a n d cuffs . His abund n wavy blond hair h h i falls t o his Shoulders e has t e a r of a t rue poet . ’ In his e age rn e ss t o re ad, he has ﬂung his cavalie r s h t cloak on t e window se a b ehind him, a part of it I dropping upon a chair be yond . t s voluminous

folds make a cushion forhim, as he le ans grace f ully against the window le dge . His sword and b e lt lie th on t he chair with the cloak . For e mome nt t he Th pe n is mightie r than the sword . e furnishings ’ of the room show the own e r s t ast e s ; a pile of folio

volume s ﬁll a low chair, an antique picture hangs

n h O t e wall . ’ The young man s face is se en by t he light re ﬂe ct e d th a I t from e p ge s of his op e n book . is a reﬁn e d, se nsitive face, of high int e lle ctual cast , ami

e t a an d abl wi h l, full of imagination . He is com l t l a p e e y bsorb e d i n his re ading, a smile playing a t bou his mouth . How little of a fop an d how much of a poet he is, we se e from his disorde re d c ollar . Bre athing q uickly as he b e nds ove r his 72 REMBRANDT

t h book, in his e xcit eme n e cannot e ndure the re

t t a e a He has l s rain of clos coll r. un oose d it, as, te an t n e qui oblivious of y un idi ss in his app e arance , t he hurrie s on, ru hle ssly crushing the page s of the as he a it a folio back, gr sps in his h nd . The frie ndship b etwe e n Six an d Re mbrandt se eme d t o grow apace for whe n the trage dy of M deea he 164 e was publis d, in 8 , it was illustrate d by t t a magniﬁce n e ching by Rembrandt, repre se nting he e an d t Marriag of Jason Cre usa . The lit e rary work of Jan Six le d the way to 165 various public honors . In 6 he b e came com 1 mission e r of marriage s ; in 66 7, a me mbe r of t he

‘ n il f h e a Co u c o t e St at e s G n e r l of Holland, an d in 16 1 9 , burgomast e r of Amst e rdam . His continue d frie ndship for Rembrandt was shown in his pur ’ a m the tt e a n m chasing nu be r of la r s p inti gs . Re brandt at le ngth paint e d a magniﬁce nt portrait of

his frie nd in his old ag e, which, with t he portrait h a t of his mothe r and t e origin l pla e for t his e t ching, t R still re mains in the Six family in Ams e rdam . e

ferring t o the portrait of Jan Six,t he famous Dutch t po et , Vonde l, cont emporary of Re mbrand and Six,

' p aid a ﬁttin g tribut e t o the gre at burg o maste r, as “ e a lover of scie nce, art, and virtu .

74 REMBRANDT

th of dooryard and ﬁeld, e care of the cattle , the ” n Bu plant ing an d harve sti g . t labor has don e no t hing t o coarse n the innat e reﬁn eme nt of t he soul

o ut th ﬁn l e e O d which looks of face . h Th ’ —f S e is re sting now . e childre n an d g ran dchil dre n have grown up t o take care of themse lve s an d t heir grandmothe r also . She has time t o sit down ” I h , i n t e twilight of life , just as she use d t o sit down at ’ h e a a t 1 t e clos of e ch d y s work, o t hink ove r what has . 1 h ha a e e . S e s a e t h pp n d larg comfor able chair,an d she ) is n eatly dre sse d, as b eﬁt s an Old woman wh ose

‘ t e life work is done . A whi ke rchie f is folde d across he r bosom, a shawl is wrappe d about he r shoul

e an d a e he r e H d rs, hood droops ov r for he ad . e r t hought s are far away from he r pre se nt surround

” et sad e t h ings ; som hing occupi s hem . S e dreams

th a t e a th of e p s and p rhaps lso of e future . Sorrow h h d as we ll as work as a a large share in he r life, but she has b0 1 e it all t t e t e n wi h pa i n r si gnation .

She is n o t o n e t o Complain , and doe s n o t me an t o t ro uble othe rs wit h he r sadn e ss . But le ft all alon e wit h her musings, a look Of ye arning come s int o he r eye s as for something be autiful and much love d, lost long ag o .

e a t e a e e e at e t t o a n Som p in rs h v b n g r a pains f shio , a count e nance sorrowful e n ough and patie nt

‘ e nough t o re pre se nt the subj e ct O f the Mat e r Dolo i h P rosa, that s, t e Sorrowing Mother of Christ . e r haps th ey would have succe e de d be tt e r if t hey had ‘ t urn e d away from t heir o wn imagin ations t o Some mother in real life who has love d an d worke d and l Mai s B uu i e P Ad C t . J A d w A Son S c on r n ho o ohn n re . PO RT RAIT O F AN O LD W O MAN

Her mita e Galler S t . P g y , etersbu rg

PORTRAIT OF AN OLD W OMAN 77

n Th a e suffe re d like t his o e . e f ce answ rs in part a our ﬁrst que stion . A wom n like this is capable of t mothe ring gre at sons . Indus rious, patie nt, self

r ﬁin h a e th sac i c g , s e would sp re h rself no ing t o train t h t he m faithfully . And e life of which he r face

— - sp e aks a life of self de nying t oil, e nnoble d by high ide als of duty — is the stuff of which h e ro e s

the e m n are made . Some of gr at e of history had such mothers . The picture illustrat e s the fact that a fac e may be t n o t a t int ere sting and e ve n artis ic, if b e u iful . This ide a m ay surprise man y, for whe n o n e calls a p e rson it as pretty as a pict ure, seems t o be unde rst ood that it is only pret ty p e ople who make suitable e a t models for pict ure s . R mbr nd , howe ve r, was of wa a t quit e anothe r mind . He s s ude nt of charact e r as well as a paint e r, and he care d t o paint face s t e e t e t more for heir xpr ssion han for b au y of fe ature . Now t he expre ssion of a face is t o a great e xt e nt a h ‘ the index of charact e r . W e s y t hat t e child has

no charact e r in his face, meaning that his skin is still fair and smoot h, b e fore his t hought s and fe el ings have made any re cord t he re . Gradually the charact e r impre sse s itself on his face . Exp erie nce ’ acts almost like a sculpt or s chise l, carving lin e s of care and grooving furrows of sorrow, shaping the mout h and the set ting of the e ye s . T h he longe r this proce ss continue s, t e more ex pre ssive the face b e come s,s o t hat it is the Old whose R m face s t ell the most int e re sting st orie s of life . e brandt unde rstood this p e rfe ctly, and none e ver 78 REMBRANDT

succe e de d b ett e r than he in revealing the poetry and be auty of Old ag e .

the t e the e His way of showing charac r in fac of . l a T t his O d wom n is ve ry common with him . he high light of the pict ure is concentrat e d on the face an d is continue d down upon the snowy kerchief . This forms a diamond of light shading by grada I tions int o darke r tints . t was the skillful use Of h light an d shadow in t e picture, which made a poe tic an d artistic work of a subj e ct which another painte r might have made very commonplace . THE SYNDIC S O F THE CLO TH GUILD

e e t o fﬁ THE word syndic is a nam appli d an o cer h of a corporation, and t is is it s m e aning in t he title of the pict ure ,The Syndics of the Cloth Guild . In

Holland, as in England and France and e lsewh ere in Europe , guilds we re associations of t rad e sme n or artisans unit e d for purpose s of mut ual help and for the in t e re st s of t heir re spe ctive indust rie s . In some points t hey we re the fore runn e rs of modern h t rade s unions, e xc ept that t e me mb e rs we re pro priet ary m erchant s an d mast e r craft sme n inst e ad of w h employe e s, and their purpose as t e advanceme nt

a e t a aﬁair of comme rci l int re s s in municip l s, instead of the prot e ction of labor against capit al . Th e re we re guilds of me rce rs,wine merchant s, goldsmit hs, painte rs and many oth e rs . Now the wool industry was o n e of the most im portant in Holland, he nce the Guild of Drape rs or Clot h Worke rs was a digniﬁe d association in se ve ral

n citie s . There was o e in Leyden,wh e re Re mbrandt was born, an d anot h e r in Amst e rdam, whe re he d th passe e most of his life . Amst e rdam was at t e t he t m hat tim fore mos com e rcial city of Europ e .

It ﬁn s guilds had e halls, ornam e nt e d with works of art paint e d by the b e st cont emporary artist s . It 80 REMBRANDT

was for this purpose t hat Re mbrandt re ceive d from the Amst e rdam Cloth Guild t he commission t o paint

a t e ﬁve fﬁ ; a portr it group of h ir O cers,and he accord in g ly delive re d t o the m in 16 61 t he gre at picture of

we e th tt e e t t o e a n which hav is li l r produc ion x mi e . Just as in the picture of the Civic Guard he had

give n life t o the portraits, by showing the memb ers in some action appropriat e t o t heir military charac t er so h h fﬁ , he re e re pre se nts t e o cers Of the guild i n t t surroundings sugge s ive of t heir du ie s . They are gat he re d about a t able cove re d wit h a rich scarlet

cloth, on which re sts the gre at le dge r of the corpo

at . e are e e a a t e a r ion Th y ngag d in b l ncing h ir . c h count s an d preparing a report for t e ye ar, an d a servant await s the ir orde r in the re ar of the apart e t a e em e a t o n e t m e nt . Th ir sk s s a pl as n , for wha iﬂi ultie s a e a e t e t e ve r d c h v ris n during h ir adminis ra h t t e t e e . tion, it is e vide nt tha ou com is succ ssful ’ n h e The y take a quiet satisfaction i t e y ar s re cord . It IS as if i n the midst of t heir consultations, as t hey t urn the le ave s o f the le dger, we sudde nly e are e Ope n the door int o the room . Th y surpris d but n ot dist urb e d by the int rusion, and look g e Th e man n ially t owards the ne wcome rs . e young r t t o at the e n d we lcome s us wit h a smile . Ne x him is o n e who has b ee n leaning ove r the book . He raise s his he ad and me ets our eye s frankly and cor t e e e s dially, His companion con inu s his discours ,g Th ' old r m n at o n t uring with the right hand . e e e e h n e e t e side give more att e ntion t o t e arrival . O s a d in the armchair smile s good nature dly the other,

THE SYNDICS OF THE CLOTH GUILD 83 risin g and le aning on the table, p ee rs forward with a look of ke e n 1n qu1ry . As we e xamin e t he fac e s o n e by o n e, we could almost writ e a charact e r study of e ach man , so won de rfully doe s t he portrait re ve al t he inne r life the placid amiability of o n e, the quie t humor of an

t . at othe r, t he ke e n, incisive insight of a hird Th t h ey are all me n of sound judgme nt we may well b elie ve, and they are plainly m en t o be trust e d . The mott o of the guild is a key t o t he ir charact e r Conform t o your vows in all matt e rs cle arly within their jurisdiction ; live hon e stly ; be n o t inﬂue nce d i in your judgme nt s by favor, hatre d, or p ersonal n ” e e e are at t he at t e re st . Th s principl s found ion of the commercial prospe rity for which Holland is not e d . The pict ure may be take n t o illustrat e a page in

It th r Amerl can hist ory . was e D ut ch, as we all e h m emb e r, who founde d t e St at e of Ne w York, and the ﬁfty years of t heir occupation (16 14— 1664) th et Th fell within e lif im e of Re mbrandt . e ﬁft e e n t housand settle rs,who came during this time from

Holland t o Ame rica, brought with t he m t he man e t t Th t n rs and cus oms of heir home c o untry . e ci i ze ns of Ne w Amste rdam we re t he count erparts of t t e a e h heir con mpor ri s in t e old Amst e rdam . W e may se e ,t he n , in this pict ure of the Cloth Me rchant s of Amst e rdam just such me n as we re t o be se e n

h - among our own colonist s . In t e broad brimm e d hat the e t e w ﬁn the am and wid whi collar e d s e pe culiaritie s of dre ss, and in their hone st face s we 84 REMBRANDT

re ad the same nation al trait s . It was t o men like t he se t hat we o we a de bt of grat it ude for some of t he b e st e le me nts in our nation al life . In the words 1 “ of a hist orian, The republican Dut chme n gave i Ne w York t s t ole rant an d cosmopolit an charact e r, insure d it s commercial supre macy, introduce d the c ommon schools, founde d t he olde st day s cho o l an d t he first Prot e st ant church in t he Unit e d St at e s,an d ” w e re pion e e rs in most of the “ ide as an d instit utions ” we boast of as distinctly Ame rican . J If yo u fancy that it was quit e accide ntal that the six figure s of t his pict ure are s o we ll arrange d, an d wonde r why the art of R e mbrandt should be so praise d he re, you may t ry an expe rime nt with your i came ra upon a group of six fig ure s . In posing s x tt p e rsons in an y orde r which is n o t stiff, and ge ing the m all t o look with o n e accord an d quite nat u t rally t owards a single point , you will unde rs and h ifil t some of t e many d c u ties which Rembrand o vercame s o simply .

1 — H n . 2 12 2 1 . W . . rifﬁs m Brav Littl olla d 3 E G , e e ,pp

8 6 REM BRANDT

t t look across a wide le ve l s re ch of land, and the eye a e an d t an a t e n dle s s dist t r v ls on on in o lmos an c e . Far away we s e e t he windmills of a Dut ch t own o ut h k line d against t e s y, a sign of indust ry as im port ant in Holland as are fact ory chimn eys in some h e othe r part s of t e world . B yond this,anothe r e n d v t t e e t the sk at t h le ss le e l s re ch m s y e horizon line .

It is hard t o distinguish the land an d wat e r, which

li Th r se e m t o e in alt ernat e strips . e past ure s a e surrounde d by canals as by fe nce s .

He re an d t he re are cows g raz mg , and we are re t h fin minde d of e e dairy farms for which Holland is not e d, the rich butt e r and che e se , which are the a flat a t s o use product of the se v st l nds, appare n ly t at le ss an d unproductive . Dire ctly in fron of us, t he le ft, is a still pool, and on t he farth e r b ank h stands a fish e rman holding a rod ove r t e wat e r . A woman seat e d on t he bank wat che s t he proces s

r with int e nse int e re st . The re a e t wo othe r ﬁgure s

ne ar by which can hardly be discerne d . Th e t ﬂat t the ett e wid ou look of coun ry is s ing for the lit tle tre e - crowne d hill which rise s near us at It ll t he right . would se e m a very sma hillock any

where else, but in the se le ve l surroundings it has a

n at distinct charact e r . It is t he o e striking fe ure

which give s expre ssion t o the face of the landscape . The eye t urns wit h ple asure t o it s grassy slop e s and Th a th t a e le afy t re e s . e t re e s h ve e symme rical gr c

s o characte ristic of Dut ch vege t ation . Nothing is e allowe d t o grow wild in this country . Ev ry grow e ing t hing is carefully nurture d and t raine d . W

90 REM BRANDT has thought that he could discern in the cloud- whirl a dim phant om ﬁgure as of the spirit of the o n - c o m e the ing st orm . Lik clouds we oft e n s e e in nat ure ; it t ake s some n ew fantastic shape e very time we t e t the look at it . Al og her impre ssion we re cel ve i s Th ’ t hat of vivid re ality . e artist s fe w line s have produce d with p erfe ct succe ss an e ff e ct ,which might

e e e e t e e he t e t o ﬁn i hav b n n ir ly spoil d had ri d sh i t carefully .

“ W e look once more at the landscape t o see what h ml n t has i T ‘ e e t e c o t . he fish r influ nc g s orm upon e Th man pays no he e d . e clouding o f the sky only make s t he fish bite b ett e r,and absorb e d in his sport h t e t e The a m e e care s no hing for w a h r . h y ak r on t he hilltop has a b ett e r chance t o re ad t he face of Th k t t a . e t e e t e the s y, and s ar s up his w gon hr re s n a seem t o fe el the imp e ndi g danger . Their le af ge is alre ady darke nin g m the change d light, and they t oss t heir branch e s in the wind, as if t o wre stle with

the spirit of the storm .