And his work, presented in the article, will introduce you to one of the greatest artists of all time. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (life - 1606-1669) - famous Dutch painter, etcher and draftsman. His work is permeated with the desire to comprehend the essence of life, as well as the inner world of man. Rembrandt was interested in the richness of spiritual experiences inherent in people. The work of this artist is the pinnacle Dutch art 17th century. It is also considered one of the most important pages artistic culture all over the world. Even people who are far from painting know his works. Rembrandt is amazing artist, whose life and work will surely interest you.

Artistic legacy of Rembrandt

The artistic legacy that he left us is exceptionally diverse. Rembrandt painted portraits, landscapes, still lifes, genre scenes. He created paintings on mythological, biblical, historical themes, as well as other works. Rembrandt is consummate master etching and drawing.

Life in Leiden

Rembrandt's life in 1620 was marked by a short period of study, then he decided to devote his life entirely to art. To this end, he studied first in Leiden with J. van Swanenbürch (about 1620-23), and then in Amsterdam with P. Lastman (in 1623). In the period from 1625 to 1631 the artist worked in Leiden. Rembrandt created his first works here.

It should be noted that his works dating back to the Leiden period are characterized by the search for the author's creative independence, despite the fact that they show the influence of Lastman, as well as representatives of Dutch caravagism. An example is the work "Bringing to the Temple", created around 1628-29. In "The Apostle Paul" (circa 1629-30), as well as in "Simeon in the Temple" (1631), the artist first resorted to chiaroscuro as a means designed to enhance the emotional expressiveness and spirituality of the images. At the same time, Rembrandt worked hard on the portrait. He studied facial expressions.

1630 years in the life of Rembrandt

An important event in the life of the master occurred in 1632. Moving to Amsterdam marked the biography of the artist Rembrandt. His biography, relating to this time, is as follows.

In Amsterdam, the artist of interest to us soon got married. His chosen one was Saskia van Uylenburgh, a rich patrician (her portrait is shown above). This woman was an orphan. Her father was a member of the council of Friesland, a burgomaster from Leewerden. Saskia's two brothers were lawyers. Among the relatives of this woman are many government officials and scientists. She brought a ray of happiness into the lonely dwelling of the artist. Rembrandt furnished his house with many rare things, as a result of which he became a real museum. The master spent a lot of time in junk shops, sales and auctions. He bought prints and paintings, Indian and Chinese carved knick-knacks, old weapons, statues, valuable crystal and porcelain. All these things served as a background for the paintings that he created. They inspired the artist. Rembrandt liked to dress his wife in velvet, brocade and silk. He showered her with pearls and diamonds. His life was easy and joyful, full of creativity, work and love. In general, the 1630s is the time family happiness and great artistic success.

Portraits from the 1630s

All portraits dating back to the 1630s demonstrate Rembrandt's subtlety and powers of observation. This brings him closer to Keyser, van der Helst, Rubens and Van Dyck. These paintings are usually made on a light gray even background. Often oval format are his works. Rembrandt created portraits that amaze with enormous plastic power. It is achieved by simplifying chiaroscuro and black-and-white harmony, as well as the direct gaze of the model. All works are full of dignity, attract attention with composition and dynamic ease. In the paintings of the Amsterdam period, in comparison with the Leiden, a smoother texture. The rhythm of the hands has a symbolic meaning (the artist intentionally does not show one hand). This, as well as the turn of the figure's head, is reminiscent of the variability and transience of the Baroque.

Characteristics of some portraits of the 1630s

Describing the life and work of Rembrandt given period, it is impossible not to refer to the portraits he created. They are quite numerous. Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp (pictured above) was created in 1632. In it, the author innovatively approached solving the problem of a group portrait, as a result of which the composition turned out to be relaxed. Rembrandt united all the people represented in the picture with a single action. This work brought him great fame.

In other portraits, created on numerous orders, the artist carefully conveyed clothes, facial features, and jewelry. One example is the work "Portrait of a Burgrave", which was painted in 1636 by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn. The life and work of any artist are closely linked. For example, portraits of people close to Rembrandt, as well as his self-portraits (one of them, created in 1634, is presented above), are more diverse and free in composition. In them, the artist was not afraid to experiment, striving for psychological expressiveness. Here one should also mention a self-portrait, created in 1634, and "Smiling Saskia", written in 1633.

The famous painting "Merry society", or "Self-portrait with Saskia" (a photo of this work is presented above), completed the search for this period. It was painted around 1635. The life and work of the artist are revealed in a special way in this work. In it, he boldly breaks with the canons that existed at that time. The picture is distinguished by the free manner of painting, the lively immediacy of the composition, as well as the light-filled, major, colorful scale.

Biblical compositions and mythological scenes 1630

In 1630, the artist also created biblical compositions. One of the most famous is the "Sacrifice of Abraham". It belongs to 1635. Biblical compositions of this time are marked by the influence of Italian Baroque painting. Its impact is manifested in the dynamics of the composition (somewhat forced), light and shade contrasts, sharpness of angles.

In the works of Rembrandt of this time, a special place belongs to mythological scenes. In them, the artist did not follow the classical traditions and canons, throwing them a bold challenge. One of the works that can be noted here is The Rape of Ganymede (1635).

"Danae"

The monumental composition called "Danae" fully embodied Rembrandt's aesthetic views. In this work, he seems to enter into an argument with the great artists of the Renaissance. The nude figure of Danae depicted by Rembrandt does not correspond to classical ideals. The artist completed this work with a realistic immediacy, very bold for that time. He contrasted the ideal, sensual-bodily beauty of the images created by Italian masters with spiritual beauty, as well as the warmth of human feeling.

Other jobs

Also in 1630, Rembrandt devoted a lot of time to work in the technique of engraving and etching. One can note such works of his as "The Traveling Couple" and "The Seller of Rat Poison". The artist also created pencil drawings, generalized in manner and quite bold.

Rembrandt's work of 1640

These years were marked by a conflict between the innovative works of Rembrandt and the very limited demands of his contemporaries. This conflict was clearly manifested in 1642. Then the work of Rembrandt's "Night Watch" caused violent protests from customers. They did not accept the main idea of ​​the artist. Rembrandt, instead of the usual group portrait, depicted a heroically elevated composition in which, on an alarm signal, the guild of shooters steps forward. That is, it was, one might say, She awakened the memories of contemporaries about the war of liberation waged by the Dutch people.

After this work, the influx of orders from Rembrandt declined. His life was also overshadowed by the death of Saskia. In 1640, the artist's work lost its outward showiness. The major notes that were characteristic of him earlier also disappeared. Rembrandt begins to write calm genre and biblical scenes, full of intimacy and warmth. In them, he reveals the subtlest shades of experiences, feelings of kindred, spiritual intimacy. Among these works should be noted "The Holy Family" in 1645, as well as the painting "David and Jonathan" (1642).

Both in graphics and in Rembrandt's painting, a very subtle play of chiaroscuro is becoming increasingly important. It creates a special atmosphere - emotionally tense, dramatic. Of note is Rembrandt's monumental graphic sheet "Christ Healing the Sick", as well as the "Leaf of a Hundred Guilders", created around 1642-46. It is also necessary to name the landscape of 1643 "Three Trees", full of light and air dynamics.

1650s in Rembrandt's work

This time was marked by severe life trials that befell the artist. It was in 1650 that the period of his creative maturity. Rembrandt is increasingly turning to the portrait. He portrays the people closest to him. Among these works, it is worth noting the numerous portraits of Hendrickje Stoffels, the second wife of the artist. Also quite remarkable was the "Portrait of an Old Woman" created in 1654. In 1657, the artist painted another of his famous work- "Son Titus reading."

Images of ordinary people and old people

images ordinary people, especially the elderly, are increasingly attracted to the artist. They are the embodiment of spiritual wealth and vital wisdom in his works. In 1654, Rembrandt created "Portrait of the Artist's Brother's Wife", and in 1652-1654 - "Portrait of an Old Man in Red" (pictured above). The painter begins to be interested in the hands and face, which are illuminated by soft light. They seem to be pulled out of the darkness. The faces of the figures are characterized by barely noticeable facial expressions. This shows the complex movement of their feelings and thoughts. Rembrandt alternates between light and pasty strokes, which makes the surface of the painting iridescent with chiaroscuro and colorful hues.

Difficult financial situation

In 1656, the artist was declared an insolvent debtor, as a result of which all his property went under the hammer. Rembrandt was forced to move to the Jewish quarter of the city of Amsterdam. Here he spent the rest of his life in extremely cramped conditions.

The work of Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn 1660

Biblical compositions created in the 1660s sum up Rembrandt's reflections on the meaning of life. In his work of this time there are paintings dedicated to the clash of light and dark principles in the human soul. A number of works on this topic were created by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, whose biography and list of paintings are of interest to us. Among such works it is necessary to note the work "Assur, Haman and Esther", created in 1660; and also David and Uriah, or The Fall of Haman (1665). They are characterized by a flexible style of writing, warm saturated range, complex surface texture, intense play of light and shadow. All this is necessary for the artist to reveal complex emotional experiences and conflicts, to affirm the victory of good over evil.

A historical painting by Rembrandt entitled "The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis", also known as "The Conspiracy of the Batavians", was created in 1661. It is imbued with heroism and severe drama.

"Return of the Prodigal Son"

IN Last year of his life, the artist created the work "The Return of the Prodigal Son". It dates from 1668-69. This monumental painting is Rembrandt's main masterpiece. It embodies all the moral and aesthetic and artistic problems characteristic of the late period of his work. The artist with the highest skill recreates in this picture a whole range of deep and complex human feelings. He subordinates artistic means to the disclosure of the beauty of forgiveness, compassion, understanding. In sparing gestures and expressive poses, the culmination of the transition from the tension of feelings to the successful resolution of passions is embodied. In the photo above, you can see this last work by Rembrandt.

The death of Rembrandt, the meaning of his work

The famous Dutch painter, etcher and draftsman died in Amsterdam on October 4, 1669. Harmensz van Rijn Rembrandt, whose works are known and loved by many, had a huge impact on further development painting. This is noticeable not only in the work of his students, of whom Karel Fabricius came closest to understanding Rembrandt, but also in the works of every Dutch artist, more or less significant. The paintings of many masters reflect the influence of an artist such as Rembrandt van Rijn. The work "Swamp", the author of which is Jacob van Ruysdael, is probably one of these works. It shows the deserted part of the forest area flooded with water. This picture has a symbolic meaning.

In the future, the great Rembrandt had a strong influence on the development of realistic art as a whole. His paintings and biography are of interest to many people to this day. This suggests that his work is indeed very valuable. Rembrandt's masterpieces, many of which have been described in this article, still inspire artists.

The work of the genius Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is one of the pinnacles of world art. The extraordinary breadth of the thematic range, the deepest humanism that inspires works, the true democracy of art, the constant search for the most expressive artistic means, unsurpassed skill gave the artist the opportunity to embody the most profound and advanced ideas of the time. The color of Rembrandt's paintings of the mature and late period, built on a combination of warm close tones, iridescent with the finest shades, light, trembling and concentrated, as if emitted by the objects themselves, contribute to the extraordinary emotionality of his works. But they are given special value by high, noble feelings, which give everyday things poetry and sublime beauty.

The Apprentice and His Tutor, 1629-1630, Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, 1630, Rijksmuseum

Minerva, circa 1631, State Museum, Berlin

Rembrandt painted historical, biblical, mythological and everyday paintings, portraits and landscapes; he was one of the greatest masters of etching and drawing. But no matter what technique Rembrandt worked in, the center of his attention was always a man, with his inner world, his experiences. Rembrandt often found his heroes among the representatives of the Dutch poor, in them he revealed the best character traits, inexhaustible spiritual wealth. The artist carried faith in man through all his life, hardships and trials. She helped him to last days create works that express the best aspirations of the Dutch people.

The Rape of Proserpina, circa 1631, Art Gallery, Dresden

Anatomy Lesson by Dr. Nicholas Tulp, 1632, Mauritshuis, The Hague

The Rape of Europa, 1632, Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born in 1606 in Leiden, the son of a mill owner. His teachers were Swannenburgh and later Lastman. From 1625, Rembrandt began to work independently. His early works bear traces of the influence of Lastman, sometimes Utrecht painters, followers of Caravaggio. Soon, the young Rembrandt found his way, clearly marked in portraits, made mainly of himself and his loved ones. Already in these works, chiaroscuro became for him one of the main means artistic expressiveness. He studied various manifestations of characters, facial expressions, facial expressions, individual traits.

Daniel and the Persian king Cyrus before the idol of Baal, 1633, Getty Museum

Goddess of War Bellona, ​​1633, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Shipbuilder and his Wife, 1633, Art Gallery, Buckingham Palace

In 1632, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam and immediately gained fame with the painting The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp (1632, The Hague, Mauritshuis). In essence, this is a large group portrait of doctors who surrounded Dr. Tulp and listened attentively to his explanations on an anatomical corpse. Such a construction of the composition allowed the artist to convey the individual features of each person portrayed and connect them into a free group with a general state of deep interest, to emphasize the vitality of the situation. Unlike the group portraits of Hals, where each of the portrayed occupies an equivalent position, in Rembrandt's painting all the characters are psychologically subordinate to Tulpa, whose figure is highlighted by a wide silhouette and a free hand gesture. Bright light reveals the center of the composition, contributes to the impression of group composure, and increases expression.

The success of the first picture brought the artist many commissions, and with them wealth, which increased with his marriage to the patrician Saskia van Uylenburgh. One after another, Rembrandt writes large religious compositions, like the Sacrifice of Abraham (1635, St. Petersburg, Hermitage), full of dynamics and pathos, ceremonial portraits. He is fascinated by heroic-dramatic images, outwardly spectacular constructions, magnificent fancy attire, contrasts of light and shadow, and sharp angles. Rembrandt often depicts Saskia and himself, young, happy, full of strength. These are “Portrait of Saskia” (circa 1634, Kassel, Art Gallery), “Self-Portrait” (1634, Paris, Louvre), “Self-Portrait with Saskia on His Knees” (circa 1636, Dresden, Art Gallery). Rembrandt worked a lot in the field of etching, being fond of genre motifs, portraits, landscapes, and created a whole series of images of representatives of the social lower classes.

Judith at the Reception of Holofernes (painting formerly known as Artemisia), 1634, Prado Museum, Madrid

Diana and Nymphs Bathe Telling Stories of Actaeon and Callisto, 1635, Wasserburg Anholt Museum

Saskia van Uylenburgh in Arcadian costume, 1635, National Gallery, London

By the end of the 1630s, the artist's attraction to realistic images in large-scale paintings was revealed. The mythological theme in the painting Danae (1636, most of the painting was repainted in the mid-1640s, St. Petersburg, the Hermitage) acquired an unusually vital and convincing solution. Rejecting violent pathos and external effects, Rembrandt strove for psychological expressiveness. The warm colors have become richer, the light has acquired an even greater role, imparting a special trepidation and excitement to the work.

Man in Oriental Costume, 1633, National Gallery, Washington

Unbelief of the Apostle Thomas, 1634, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow

Samson threatens his father-in-law, 1635, Rijksmuseum, Berlin

With the deepening of the realistic skill of the artist, his disagreements with the surrounding bourgeois-patrician environment grew. In 1642, commissioned by a company of riflemen, he wrote big picture(3.87 X 5.02 m), due to the darkening of the colors from time to time, later called the “Night Watch” (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum). Instead of the traditional feast with portraits of its participants, where each one is depicted with all the care of an individual characteristic, as was done earlier, the artist depicted the performance of shooters on a campaign. Raising the banner, led by the captain, they march along the wide bridge near the guild building to the sound of a drum. An unusually bright beam of light, illuminating individual figures, the faces of the procession participants and a little girl with a rooster at her waist, as if making her way through the ranks of shooters, emphasizes the unexpectedness, dynamics and excitement of the image. The images of courageous people, seized with a heroic impulse, are combined here with a generalized image of the Dutch people, inspired by the consciousness of unity and faith in their own strength. Thus, a group portrait acquires the character of a peculiar historical picture, in which the artist seeks to assess the present. Rembrandt embodies his idea of ​​lofty civic ideals, of a people who have risen to fight for freedom and national independence. In the years when the internal contradictions that divided the country were increasingly revealed, the artist made a call for civic feat. Rembrandt sought to create an image of the heroic Holland, to glorify the patriotic upsurge of its citizens. However, this idea was already largely alien to his customers.

Throughout the 1640s, the differences between the artist and bourgeois society were growing. This is facilitated by difficult events in his personal life, the death of Saskia. But it was at this time that the time of maturity came in Rembrandt's work. The spectacular dramatic scenes of his early paintings are being replaced by the poetization of everyday life: lyrical plots become predominant, such as “Farewell of David to Jonathan” (1642), “The Holy Family” (1645, both paintings - St. Petersburg, the Hermitage), in whom the depth of human feelings conquers with a surprisingly subtle and strong incarnation. It would seem that in simple everyday scenes, in sparing and accurately found gestures and movements, the artist reveals the complexity of the spiritual life, the flow of thoughts of the characters. He transfers the scene of the painting "The Holy Family" to a poor peasant house, where the father works as a carpenter, and the young mother carefully guards the baby's sleep. Every thing here is covered with the breath of poetry, emphasizes the mood of silence, peace, tranquility. This is facilitated by soft light that illuminates the faces of the mother and baby, the subtlest shades of warm golden color.

Christ and Mary Magdalene at the Tomb, 1638, Royal Collection, Windsor

Agatha Bass against a Window, 1641, Art Gallery, Buckingham Palace

Preacher Cornelis Claes Anslo and his wife Eltje Gerritsdr Schouten, 1641, Museum Berlin-Dahlem

Images of Rembrandt's graphic works - drawings and etchings - are full of deep inner significance. With particular force, the democratism of his art is expressed in the etching “Christ Healing the Sick” (circa 1649, “A Sheet of a Hundred Guilders”, so named because of the high price that he bought at auctions). Striking is the penetrating interpretation of the images of the sick and suffering, the beggars and the poor, who are opposed by self-satisfied, richly dressed Pharisees. Genuine monumental scope, picturesqueness, subtle and sharp contrasts of chiaroscuro, tonal richness are distinguished by his etchings and pen drawings, both thematic and landscape.

A huge place in the later period is occupied by simple but compositions, most often generational portraits of relatives and friends, in which the artist focuses on revealing peace of mind portrayed. Many times he writes to Hendrikje Stoffels, revealing her spiritual kindness and friendliness, nobility and dignity - such, for example, "Hendrikje at the Window" (Berlin, Museum). Often the model is his son Titus, a sickly, fragile young man with a gentle spiritual face. In the portrait with a book (circa 1656, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), the image seems to be penetrated by the sun's rays. Among the most penetrating are the portrait of Breuning (1652, Kassel, Gallery), a young golden-haired man with a mobile face illuminated by inner light, and a portrait of the closed-sad Jan Six (1654, Amsterdam, Six's collection), as if stopped in thought, pulling on a glove.

Self-Portrait with a Felt Hat, 1642, Royal Collection, Windsor Castle, London

Toilet of Bathsheba, 1643, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Portrait of a Lady with Clasped Hands (Hendrickje Stoffels?), circa 1650, Royal Collection, London

Late self-portraits of the artist also belong to this type of portraits, striking by the diversity of psychological characteristics, the expression of the most elusive movements of the soul. The “Self-Portrait” of the Vienna Museum (circa 1652) was executed with noble simplicity and majesty; in the "Self-portrait" from the Louvre (1660), the artist depicted himself meditating, intently sad. At the same time, a portrait of an old woman, his brother's wife (1654, St. Petersburg, Hermitage), was painted, a portrait-biography that speaks of a hard lived life, of harsh days that left their eloquent traces on the wrinkled face and hard-working hands of this survivor woman. By concentrating light on the face and hands, the artist draws the viewer's attention to them, revealing the spiritual richness and human dignity of those portrayed. Almost all of these portraits are not custom-made: every year there are less and less orders.

The last decade is the most tragic time in Rembrandt's life; declared an insolvent debtor, he settles in the poorest quarter of Amsterdam, loses his best friends and loved ones. Hendrickje and son Titus die. But the misfortunes that befell him could not stop the development of the creative genius of the artist. The deepest and beautiful works they were written at that time. The group portrait of "Sindiki" (the elders of the cloth guild, 1662, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum) completes the artist's achievements in this genre. Its vitality lies in the depth and specificity of each of those portrayed, in the naturalness of the composition, clear and balanced, in the stinginess and accuracy of the selection of details, in the harmony of a discreet color scheme, and at the same time in creating an integral image of a group of people united by the common interests they protect. . An unusual angle emphasizes the monumental nature of the image, the significance and solemnity of what is happening.

Young woman trying on earrings, 1657, Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Artaxerxes, Haman and Esther, 1660, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow

Family portrait, 1668, Duke Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig

A number of large-sized thematic paintings by the master also belong to the late period: “The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis” (1661, Stockholm, National Museum), a historical composition depicting the leader of the Batav tribe, who were considered the ancestors of the Netherlands, who in the 1st century raised the people to revolt against Rome, as well as paintings on biblical subjects: "Artaxerxes, Haman and Esther" (1660, Moscow, Pushkin Museum). The plot of the biblical parable of the prodigal son attracted the artist before, it is found in one of his etchings. But only towards the end of his life did Rembrandt come to his deepest revelation. The image of a tired, repentant man who fell to his knees in front of his father expresses the tragic path of knowing life, and the image of the father who forgave the prodigal son embodies the highest happiness available to a person, the limit of feelings that fill the heart. The solution to this large-scale composition is amazingly simple, where the main characters seem to be illuminated by an inner light, where the gesture of the hands of the father, who has regained his son, expresses his infinite kindness, and the drooping figure of a wanderer in dirty rags, clinging to his father, expresses all the power of repentance, the tragedy of searching and losses. Other characters are relegated to the background, in the penumbra, and their compassion and thoughtfulness only highlight even more, as if glowing with a warm radiance, paternal love and forgiveness, which the great Dutch artist left people like a testament.

The influence of Rembrandt's art was enormous. It affected the work not only of his immediate students, of whom Karel Fabritius came closest to understanding the teacher, but also on the art of every more or less significant Dutch artist. The art of Rembrandt had a profound impact on the development of all world realistic art subsequently. While the greatest Dutch artist, having come into conflict with bourgeois society, died in need, other painters, having mastered the skill of truthful transmission of the depicted, managed to achieve lifetime recognition and well-being. Having concentrated their efforts in the field of one or another genre of painting, many of them created significant works in their field.

Resmbrandt was born in Leiden, the son of a rather wealthy mill owner. First he studied at the Latin School, and then briefly at the University of Leiden, but left him to study painting, first with a little-known local master, and then with the Amsterdam artist Peter Lastman.

After a short study, Rembrandt leaves for his hometown to paint on his own in his own workshop. This is the time of the formation of the artist, when he was fond of the work of Caravaggio. During this period, he paints a lot of portraits of his family members - mother, father, sister and self-portraits. Already at this time he devotes Special attention illumination and transmission of spiritual experiences of their models. The young artist loves to dress them up in various clothes, drape them in beautiful fabrics, perfectly conveying their texture and color.

In 1632, Rembrandt left for Amsterdam, the center of the artistic culture of Holland, which naturally attracted the young artist. Here he quickly achieves fame, he has many orders. At the same time, he enthusiastically continues to improve his skills. The 30s were the time of the highest glory, the path to which was opened for the painter by his large commissioned painting "Anatomy Lesson". All poses and actions in the picture are natural, but devoid of excessive naturalism.

In 1634, Rembrandt marries a girl from a wealthy family - Saskia van Uylenborch - and since then falls into patrician circles. The most happy time artist's life: mutual passionate love, material well-being, a lot of orders. The painter often writes to his young wife: "Flora", "Self-portrait with Saskia on her knees." But happiness did not last long. Saskia died in 1642, leaving her little son Titus.

Moral depression and the passion for collecting that took possession of Rembrandt gradually led him to ruin. This was also facilitated by a change in the tastes of the public, who became fascinated by carefully painted light painting. Rembrandt, who never yielded to the tastes of his customers, was interested in the contrasts of light and shadow, leaving the light at one point, the rest of the picture was in shadow and in partial shade. Orders became less and less. New girlfriend his life, Hendrikje Stoffels and his son Titus founded a painting and antiques trading company to help the artist. But their efforts were in vain. Things were getting worse. In the early 1660s, Hendrickje died, and a few years later, Titus.

However, in spite of everything, the artist continues to work. In these especially difficult years, he creates a number of remarkable works: "Sindics", "The Return of the Prodigal Son", striking with inner drama.

The greatest artist died in extreme poverty on October 4, 1669. Contemporaries coldly reacted to this loss. It took almost two hundred years for the strength of Rembrandt's realism, the deep psychology of his canvases, and the amazing skill of painting to raise his name from oblivion and place him among the world's greatest names.

Flora is the Italian goddess of flowers and youth. The cult of Flora is one of the oldest agricultural cults of Italy, especially of the Sabines. The Romans identified Flora with the Greek Chloris and celebrated in her honor the so-called floralia in spring, during which funny Games which sometimes took on an unbridled character. People decorated themselves and animals with flowers, women put on bright dresses.
IN antique art Flora was portrayed as a young woman holding flowers or scattering flowers.

The whole canvas is permeated with frank jubilation! The self-portrait depicts the spouses at a cheerful feast. Rembrandt, huge compared to his thin wife, holds her on his knees and raises a crystal goblet of foaming wine. They seem to be taken by surprise, in an intimate atmosphere overflowing with life.

Rembrandt, in a rich military suit with a gilded baldric and a rapier on his side, looks like some dandy-raiter having fun with a girl. He is not embarrassed that such a pastime can be considered a sign of bad taste. He only knows that his wife is loved, and therefore beautiful in her luxurious corsage, silk skirt, magnificent headdress and precious necklace, and that everyone should admire her. He is not afraid to appear neither vulgar nor conceited. He lives in the realm of dreams and joy, far from people, and it does not occur to him that he can be blamed. And all these feelings are conveyed by the simple-hearted expression of the radiant face of the artist himself, who seems to have achieved all earthly blessings.

The picture expresses the joy of life, the consciousness of youth, health and well-being.

After Saskia's death, another woman entered Rembrandt's life, a modest servant Hendrikje Stoffels, who brightened up the master's loneliness. He often wrote her, but in the titles of works where she served as a model, he never mentioned her name.

The story of the biblical patriarch Joseph is told in the book of Genesis.
Even in the parental home of Jacob and Rachel, their beloved son Joseph appears as a dreamer. The father singles out Joseph among the brothers, and they, jealous of his special position and beautiful clothes, sell Joseph into slavery to caravaners heading to Egypt.
In Egypt, Joseph serves as a slave to the rich nobleman Potiphar, the head of the pharaoh's bodyguards. Potiphar entrusts Joseph with his entire house, but Potiphar's wife encroaches on his chastity, and Joseph runs away, leaving his clothes in the woman's hands. Potiphar's wife, having fallen in love with Joseph, and not having achieved reciprocity, accuses him of rape.
In the prison where Joseph was sent, the baker and cupbearer of the king are with him. Joseph interprets their dreams, according to which the baker will be executed, and the cupbearer will be forgiven after three days. Joseph's prophecy is being fulfilled, and the cupbearer remembers him when the Egyptian priests find it difficult to interpret the Pharaoh's dream about seven fat cows devoured by seven skinny ones and about seven good spikelets devoured by the skinny ones. Called out of prison, Joseph interprets the dream as a harbinger of the fact that after the next seven years of a good harvest, seven years of severe crop failure will come. He advises the pharaoh to appoint a trusted person to create supplies for the time of famine.
Pharaoh appoints Joseph as a confidant, favors him with his ring, gives him an Egyptian name, and as his wife - the Egyptian Aseneth, the daughter of a priest from Heliopolis.

Samson loved to roam the country and one day ended up in the city of Timnath. There he fell in love with a stately Philistine woman and wished to marry her. He ran home and asked his parents to woo his beloved. The old people clutched their heads in horror: the son had already caused them a lot of grief, and now, in addition to everything, he decided to marry a foreigner, the daughter of a Philistine. Samson, however, stood his ground. The parents had nothing to do - sighing heavily, they obeyed the whims of their eccentric son. Samson became a groom and from then on often went to visit the bride's parents.
One day, when Samson was walking briskly along the path between the vineyards, a young roaring lion blocked his way. The strong man tore the lion to shreds and, as if nothing had happened, went to Timnath, without telling anyone about his adventure. Returning home, he was surprised to see that a swarm of bees nested in the mouth of a dead lion and a lot of honey had already accumulated. Samson brought the honeycombs to his parents without saying a word where he got them.
In Fimnaf, the matchmaking went well, there was a big feast, everyone congratulated the bride and groom, and the wedding day was fixed. According to Philistine custom, the wedding celebration lasts seven days.
At the feast, the bride's parents, fearing Samson's extraordinary strength, appointed thirty young strong Philistines as marriage companions to him. Samson, looking at the "guards" with a grin, suggested that they solve the riddle. It had to be solved by the end of the wedding, on the seventh day.
The riddle went like this: "Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet." Of course, no one could solve this riddle, because no one knew that we are talking about bees eating nectar (bees are "eating"), about honey ("eating") and about a strong lion. At the same time, Samson set conditions: if it is solved, they will receive 30 shirts as much of the top dress, and if not, they will pay him the same.
The bewildered Philistines thought for three days over this a strange riddle. Desperate, they went to his young wife and threatened that if she did not find out the answer to the riddle from her husband, they would burn both themselves and her father's house. The Philistines really did not want to pay Samson a rich sum.
By cunning and kindness, the wife found out from her husband the answer to the riddle, and the next day the Philistines gave the correct answer. The enraged Samson had nothing to do but repay the agreed debt, and his parents were very poor. Then he killed 30 Philistines and gave their clothes as a debt. Samson himself, realizing what his wife betrayed, slammed the door and went back to his parents.

Artemis (Artemis) - daughter of Zeus and Leto, sister of Apollo. Initially revered as the goddess of flora and fauna. She is the "mistress of the beasts", Tavropol (protector of the bulls), Limnatis (marsh), bear (in this guise she was worshiped in Bavron). Later - the goddess of hunting, mountains and forests, the patroness of women in childbirth.
Artemis begged for eternal virginity from Zeus. Sixty Oceanids and twenty nymphs were her constant hunting companions, participants in her games and dances. Her main function is to protect established customs, sacrifices to the gods, for the violation of which she severely punishes: she sends a terrible boar to the Calydonian kingdom, deadly snakes to the marriage bed of King Admet. She guards and animal world, calling to account Hercules, who killed the Kerinean doe with golden horns, and demands a bloody sacrifice in return for the sacred doe killed by Agamemnon - his daughter Iphigenia (on the sacrificial altar, Artemis secretly replaced the princess with a doe, and Iphigenia transferred to Tauris, making her her priestess).
Artemis is the protector of chastity. She patronizes Hippolytus, who despises love, turns Actaeon, who accidentally saw the goddess naked, into a deer, which was torn to pieces by him own dogs, and the nymph Calypso, who broke her vow, into a bear. She has determination, does not tolerate rivalry, uses her well-aimed arrows as a tool of punishment. Artemis, together with Apollo, destroyed the children of Niobe, who was proud of her seven sons and seven daughters before the mother of the gods Leto; her arrow hit Orion, who dared to compete with the goddess.
As the goddess of vegetation, Artemis is associated with fertility. This cult especially spread in Ephesus (Asia Minor), where the temple of Artemis of Ephesus (one of the "seven wonders of the world"), burned by Herostratus, was built in her honor. Artemis was revered here as a goddess-nurse, "hard-working"; She is the patroness of the Amazons.
Artemis was also revered as the goddess of war. In Sparta, before the battle, a goat was sacrificed to the goddess, and in Athens, five hundred goats were laid on the altars every year on the anniversary of the Battle of Marathon (September-October).
Artemis often approached the goddess of the month (Hecate) or the goddess of the full moon (Selene). There is a well-known myth about Artemis-Selene, in love with the handsome Endymion, who wished eternal youth and immortality and received them in a deep sleep. Every night the goddess approached the grotto of the Carian Mount Latm, where the young man slept and admired his beauty.
The attribute of the goddess is a quiver behind her back, in her hands a bow or a torch; she is accompanied by a deer or a pack of hunting dogs.
In Rome, Artemis is identified with the local deity Diana.

The artist depicted Saskia, his wife, as Juno. Juno is the ancient Roman goddess of marriage and birth, the motherhood of women and the female productive force. Protector of marriages, guardian of the family and family regulations. The main attribute of this goddess is a veil, a diadem, a peacock and a cuckoo. Rembrandt has a peacock in the lower left corner of the picture.

In biblical mythology, Belshazzar was the last Babylonian king, the fall of Babylon is associated with his name. Despite the siege of the capital, undertaken by Cyrus, the king and all the inhabitants, having a rich supply of food, could carelessly indulge in the pleasures of life.
On the occasion of one minor holiday, Belshazzar arranged a magnificent feast, to which up to a thousand nobles and courtiers were invited. Table bowls were precious vessels taken by the Babylonian conquerors from various conquered peoples, among other things, and expensive vessels from the Jerusalem temple. At the same time, according to the custom of the ancient pagans, the Babylonian gods were glorified, who turned out to be victorious before and will always be victorious, despite all the efforts of Cyrus and his secret allies, the Jews, with their Jehovah.
But then, in the midst of the feast, a human hand appeared on the wall and slowly began to write some words. Seeing her, "the king changed his face, his thoughts became confused, the bonds of his loins weakened, and his knees began to beat one against the other in horror." The summoned wise men failed to read and explain the inscription. Then, on the advice of the queen, they invited the aged prophet Daniel, who always showed extraordinary wisdom. And he really read the inscription, which briefly read in Aramaic: "Mene, tekel, uparsin" This meant: "Mene - God numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; tekel - you are weighed and found very light; uparsin - your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
That very night, the biblical story continues, Belshazzar, king of the Chaldees, was killed.

Tobit is an Israeli, distinguished by righteousness in his native country and did not leave the pious Assyrian government and generally survived a number of trials, including blindness, which ended for him and his offspring with the full blessing of God. His son, Tobias, healed with the help of an angel.

God appeared to Abraham and his wife Sarah in the form of three travelers, three beautiful youths (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit). The elderly couple gave them generous hospitality. Having accepted the treat, God announced a miracle to the spouses: despite their deep old age, they will have a son, and from him a great and strong people will come, and all the peoples of the world will be blessed in him.

One of the most mysterious episodes in the Old Testament.
When Jacob is left alone, Someone appears (it is customary to consider him an angel) and fights with him all night. The angel fails to overcome Jacob, then he touches the tendon on the thigh and damages it. However, Jacob survives the test and receives a new name - Israel, meaning "he who wrestles with God and will overcome men."
That is why, to some extent, the postures of Jacob and the angel, embracing rather than fighting, are natural and justified.

The plot is from the Gospel, but the artist depicts how the life of ordinary people. Only angels descending into the twilight of a poor dwelling reminds us that this is not an ordinary family. The gesture of the mother's hand, throwing back the canopy to look at the sleeping child, concentration in the figure of Joseph - everything is deeply thought out. The simplicity of life and the appearance of people do not make the picture mundane. Rembrandt knows how to see in everyday life not the petty and ordinary, but the deep and enduring. The peaceful silence of working life, the holiness of motherhood emanates from this canvas.

The Jewish king Seoul sought to destroy the young David, fearing that he would take his throne. Warned by his friend, Prince Jonathan, the winner of Goliath, David says goodbye to Jonathan at the stone Azail (Hebrew meaning - parting, separation.) Jonathan is stern and restrained, his face is mournful. David in despair clings to his friend's chest, he is inconsolable.

According to the Bible, Bathsheba was a woman of rare beauty. King David, walking on the roof of his palace, saw Bathsheba bathing below. Her husband, Uriah, is away from home at the time, serving in David's army. Bathsheba did not try to seduce the king. But David was seduced by the beauty of Bathsheba and ordered that she be brought to the palace. As a result of their relationship, she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, Solomon. Later, David wrote to the commander of the army where Uriah fought, a letter in which he ordered to put Uriah where there will be "the strongest battle, and retreat from him so that he will be struck down and die."
Indeed, it happened, and David subsequently married Bathsheba. Their first child lived only a few days. David later repented of his deed.
With all her high position, the most beloved of David's wives, Bathsheba took a place in the shadows and behaved in a dignified manner. David crowned Solomon, son of Bathsheba, king. Bathsheba was a wise woman and always hoped for God. In relation to David, she became faithful and loving wife and a good mother to her children, Solomon and Nathan.

One of the last paintings by Rembrandt. This is a deep psychological drama. In the canvas with tremendous power sounds a call to deep humanity, the affirmation of the spiritual community of people, the beauty of parental love.

It depicts a biblical story about a dissolute son who, after long wanderings, returned to his father's house. The whole room is immersed in darkness, only father and son are brightly lit. The son with the shaved head of a convict, in rags, with a bare heel from which a holey shoe fell off, fell to his knees and clung to his father, hiding his face on his chest. The old father, blinded by grief in anticipation of his son, feels him, recognizes him and forgives him, blessing him.

The artist naturally and truthfully conveys the full power of paternal love. Nearby there are numb figures of spectators expressing surprise and indifference - these are members of that society that first corrupted and then condemned the prodigal son. But paternal love triumphs over their indifference and hostility.

The canvas became immortal thanks to the universal feelings expressed in it - bottomless parental love, bitterness of disappointment, loss, humiliation, shame and repentance.

This best work Rembrandt 30s.

The painting is dedicated eternal theme love. The plot was the myth of the daughter of King Acrisius Danae. The oracle predicted to Acrisius that he would die at the hands of his grandson. Then the king imprisoned his daughter forever in a tower. But the almighty Zeus turned into a golden rain and in this form entered Danae and became her lover. Their son Perseus was born, and then again, on the orders of Arixius, Danae, together with his son in a box, were thrown into the sea. But Danae and her son did not die.

The artist depicts the moment when Danae joyfully awaits Zeus. The old maid draws aside the curtain of her bed, and a golden glow pours into the room. Danae, in anticipation of happiness, rises to meet the golden rain. The veil fell off and exposed a no longer young, heavy body, far from the laws of classical beauty. Nevertheless, it captivates with its vital truthfulness, soft roundness of forms. And although the artist addresses the theme from ancient mythology, the picture is clearly written in the spirit of realism.

Rembrandt wrote a lot on the topics of biblical stories, and all of them were in his own way, updated in content. Often he painted pictures contrary to logic - lighting, colors, everything was just his own idea. The artist shows the same independence in the manner of dressing his characters. He dressed them up in strange robes - Saskia, Juno, and others...
The same with the couple in the picture "Jewish Bride". The name is strange, because the canvas depicts a married couple, and the wife is pregnant.
Against the background of vague greenery, part of the large wall and the urban landscape are guessed. A couple dressed in red and gold stands in front of a pilaster. Two faces and four arms, the man leans towards the woman, whose gaze is turned to herself, to her thoughts. Her right hand holding flowers rests on her stomach. In the face - the trusting seriousness of the wife, busy only with the presence of another life in herself. The man puts his left arm around her shoulders. The right hand rests on the dress at chest level, where it comes into contact with left hand women. Fingers touch each other. Soft touch. The man looks at the woman's hand touching his own.

In the painting, Rembrandt completely abandoned the classical ideal of the nude female figure. Here he depicted Hendrickje, his second wife, undressing before bathing, contrary to all the canons of beauty. A golden robe lies at the water's edge, and a sweet young woman, shyly lifting her shirt, enters cold water. She seems to emerge from the brown darkness, her shyness and modesty are read both in the lightly written face and in the hands supporting the shirt.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) was a Dutch painter, draftsman and engraver, Great master chiaroscuro, the largest representative of the golden age Dutch painting. He managed to embody in his works the whole range of human experiences with such emotional richness, which fine art did not know before him. Rembrandt's works, extremely diverse in genre, open to the viewer the timeless spiritual world of human experiences and feelings.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon ("son of Harmen") van Rijn was born on July 15, 1606 (according to some sources, in 1607) in a large family of a wealthy mill owner Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn in Leiden. The mother's family, even after the Dutch Revolution, remained faithful to the Catholic faith.

In Leiden, Rembrandt attended a Latin school at the university, but the greatest interest showed to painting. At the age of 13 he was sent to study fine arts to the Leiden historical painter Jacob van Swanenbürch, a Catholic by faith. Researchers have not been able to find Rembrandt's works related to this period, so the question of Swanenbürch's influence on the formation of Rembrandt's creative manner remains open: too little is known today about this Leiden artist.

In 1623, Rembrandt studied in Amsterdam with Pieter Lastman, who had trained in Italy and specialized in historical, mythological and biblical subjects. Returning to Leiden in 1627, Rembrandt, together with his friend Jan Lievens, opened his own workshop and began to recruit students. Within a few years he gained wide popularity.

Lastman's passion for variegation and detail in execution had a huge impact on the young artist. It clearly comes through in his first surviving works - "The Stoning of St. Stephen" (1629), "Scene from ancient history"(1626) and" Baptism of a eunuch "(1626). In comparison with his mature works, they are unusually colorful, the artist strives to carefully write out every detail of the material world, as accurately as possible to convey the exotic setting of the biblical story. Almost all the characters appear before the viewer dressed up in bizarre oriental outfits, shining with jewels, which creates an atmosphere of pomp, splendor, festivity (“Allegory of Music”, 1626; “David before Saul”, 1627).

The final works of the period - "Tobit and Anna", "Balaam and the donkey" - reflect not only the artist's rich imagination, but also his desire to convey the dramatic experiences of his heroes as expressively as possible. Like other masters of the Baroque, he begins to comprehend the meaning of sharply sculpted chiaroscuro in conveying emotion. His teachers in relation to working with light were the Utrecht caravagists, but he was even more guided by the works of Adam Elsheimer, a German who worked in Italy. The most caravaggist paintings by Rembrandt are “The Parable of the Foolish Rich Man” (1627), “Simeon and Anna in the Temple” (1628), “Christ at Emmaus” (1629).

Adjacent to this group is the painting The Artist in His Studio (1628; perhaps this is a self-portrait), in which the artist captured himself in the studio at the moment of contemplating his own creation. The canvas that is being worked on is brought to the forefront of the picture; in comparison with him, the author himself seems a dwarf.

One of the unresolved issues creative biography Rembrandt is his artistic resemblance to Lievens. Working side by side, they took on the same subject more than once, such as Samson and Delilah (1628/1629) or The Resurrection of Lazarus (1631). In part, both were drawn to Rubens, who was then known as best artist throughout Europe, sometimes Rembrandt borrowed the artistic finds of Lievens, sometimes it was exactly the opposite. For this reason, the distinction between the works of Rembrandt and Lievens of 1628-1632 presents certain difficulties for art historians. Among his other famous works is "Valaam's donkey" (1626).

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After training, the artist returned to Leiden, where, together with a friend, he opened his own workshop and began to recruit students. He later moved to Amsterdam and married Saskia van Uylenburgh, whose family ties contributed to the popularity of the artist and the growth of fees for many commissioned portraits and works of art.

Like many great artists, Rembrandt was not happy in family life. Three of the couple's four children died in infancy. A year after the birth of their only surviving son, at the age of 30, Saskia also died.

Later, the housekeeper Hendrikje Stoffels often posed for portraits of Rembrandt. Although he was famous artist, in 1656 had to declare bankruptcy and sell off the property. During this difficult period, the master produced his best works.

What photographers can learn from Rembrandt paintings:

The characteristic features of light give an idea of ​​the harmonious relationship between the amount, direction and intensity of illumination.
Texture and colors play a role in determining the mood of a painting. The photographer can apply this to a photograph.
The warmth of these portraits makes them very lively and artistic.
The light does not completely fill the frame, but falls only in a certain area that requires lighting.
Amazing composition and distribution of subjects in the picture, regardless of their number in the scene.
action, posture, Environment and the frozen moment give a clear idea of ​​the mood of the character.
The intensity of the dramatic relationship between light and shadow carries an understanding of the significance of the composition of the picture.
The study of paintings and engravings by Rembrandt is a direct path to excellence, it gives an understanding of the aspects of art.