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SUNARTS 12-10-06 EZ EE N6
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SUBJECT
Rembrandts Hundred Guilder Print
anthologizes almost all the events in
Chapter 19 of the Gospel of Matthew. Its
almost as though the various figures
mentioned in that narrative are lined up,
waiting their turn to come onstage with
Christ.
THE SICK
His subjects are usually taken from
everyday life. (J. von Sandrart, 1679)
As per the first verse of Matthew 19,
invalids crowd around Christ waiting to be
THE CHILDREN
He would spend a whole day or even two
arranging the folds of a turban until he
was satisfied. (A. Houbraken, 1720)
Saint Peter (traditionally shown bald)
tries to push away a mother who asks for a
blessing on her child (4), but Christ holds
his Apostle back, as in the 13th verse of the
THE ARTIST
Rembrandt
FRICK COLLECTION, NEW YORK
identifies the rich
young man
Detail of Titians
mentioned in the
Portrait of a Man
16th verse by
in a Red Cap, from
dressing him in
1516, an example of
the old-fashioned
Renaissance dress.
finery of a courtier
from a Renaissance portrait (5). He is
shown either gravely pondering the
question he is about to ask (What good
must I do to gain eternal life?) or already
with heavy heart, as the Bible describes
him, at the answer Jesus gives (sell your
possessions and give to the poor and
Rembrandt shows poor people surrounding
the wealthy character.)
THE APOSTLES
He was prolific in painting facial
expressions. (A. Houbraken, 1720)
The arguing men gathered around a
table (10) are usually described as the
Pharisees who, in Matthew 19:3, try to trip
up Christ with a trick question on divorce.
But the figures in the print are so clearly
derived from the seated Apostles in
Leonardo da Vincis Last Supper, which
Rembrandt himself drew copies of, that it
seems more likely that they represent the
same characters here. Throughout this
chapter in Matthew, Christs Apostles
dispute their leaders radical teachings.
REFLECTION
He made skillful use of reflections by which
means light could be made to penetrate areas of
shadow. (J. von Sandrart, 1679)
By ever so slightly lightening the dark wall to
the right of Christ (12), Rembrandt reinforces
the sense that theres real, empty space inside
his scene, through which light can bounce
around from one surface to the next. Here, the
light may be coming from Christs glowing aura
which otherwise doesnt seem to have much
effect on the surfaces around it.
PROCESS
The technique of the Hundred
Guilder Print leaves me breathless,
since I cant understand how he
was able to complete it after such a
crude sketch. (A. Houbraken,
1720)
Detail of Benozzo
Gozzolis Saint Ursula
With Two Angels and
Donor, circa 1455-60. A
shadow on Christs robe
evokes a similar stance.
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DIRECTION
TECHNIQUE
EVOCATION
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LIGHT
SKILL
This artists special
accomplishment was the invention
of an extravagant manner of
etching never used by others. (F.
Baldinucci, c. 1700)
The picture includes a full range
of bravura techniques, from crisp
fine lines etched into the copper
plate with acid (16), to blurred,
moody lines done in drypoint (17),
which add depth and character to
areas of shadow. Drypoint lines are
RELIEF
He is good at putting together
tones and half-tones, and has a
great sense of light and shade. (A.
Felibien, 1685)
One of any printmakers most
highly prized skills was the ability to
render the rich three dimensions of
reality using only a few tones of
black and gray. Rembrandts print
sets out to demonstrate a range of
depth effects: from flat
outlines (18), at far left, to figures
that could almost be carved in low
relief (19), to the high-relief of
Christ in the center of the print (20)
(note the deep shadows that cluster
all around him, as though he were a
statue in a niche) to the full depth of
the figures at far right.