Oil Painting Reproductions On Canvas

The Magnificent Light and Shadows of Rembrandt Paintings

Rembrandt Van Rijn Aristotle with a Bust of Homer

One can only imagine what the world would have missed had Rembrandt become a miller at the wishes of his father. It was his father’s wishes that he learn a useful trade. During the 1620′s, Rembrandt honed his artistic skills under the tutelage of Jacob van Swanenburgh. Later, having moved his studios to Amsterdam, Rembrandt became recognized as a gifted painter and received many commissions for portraits and religious scenes. Rembrandt was fortunate to live in the ‘Golden Era‘ of Holland where traded, culture, science and politics was at its zenith.

Born the ninth of ten children and the son of a prosperous miller, Rembrandt received an education in mathematics, classical literature, Greek, history and geography in Leiden’s Latin School. Entering Leiden University, Rembrandt studied science where he was introduced to anatomy. Studying cadavers, who were dissected on stage, gave Rembrandt invaluable knowledge that was prevalent and paramount to his success throughout his artistic career.

Rembrandt paintings are characterized by the term “chiaroscuro,” which refers to a successful blend of light and shadows – resulting in a captivating visual effect. Though the technique is strongly attributed to Rembrandt, it was actually fathered by Leonardo da Vinci and nurtured by Caravaggio before Rembrandt brought the technique to its zenith.

Rembrandt paintings are famous the world over for the apparent mastery of lights and shadows. Bold impasto and chiaroscuro, how light and shadow are distributed, were two methods Rembrandt used to give his objects the appearance of hovering on the canvas. Rembrandt famous paintings include numerous self-portraits of himself, where he no doubt continued to develop and advance his skills. He possessed the unique ability to create a precarious balance between painting in vivid colors and painting in shades. Rembrandt developed and employed the technique of painting in layers, building from the back to the front, and using heavy coats of glaze – a technique that allows his painting to withstand the test of time.

Rembrandt paintings are mostly centered around portraits, historical or biblical themes. He is considered to be the first artist to explore the psychology of humanity expressed through art. Rembrandt famous paintings have a “snapshot” quality, where magnificent scenes appear to be frozen in time. His mastery of shadows, which gracefully contrast action, causes viewers to be drawn into the vibrant energy of the exchange.

Rembrandt famous paintings include, “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee,” “The Stoning of Saint Stephen,” “The Blinding of Sampson,” “Belshazzar’s Feast,” and the “Night Watch.” Rembrandt paintings were famous for achieving three significant artistic milestones: dramatic intensity, rhythmic visual harmony, and psychological depth.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 at 2:45 pm. It is filed under VISUAL ARTS and tagged with chiaroscuro, Rembrandt paintings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.