Rembrandt

I was first introduced to Rembrandt through a highschool art class and was reintroduced via a history course shortly afterwards. Rembrandt Hamerszoon van Rijn was a Dutch painter and etcher born July of 1606. Rembrandt is known for his captivating self-portraits and paintings of different biblical scenes. After achieving success as a painter at such a young age, Rembrandt lived out his later years in financial struggle. Rembrandt also spent his later years mentoring other Dutch painters.



Rembrandt 1659, beret and up-turned collar. Rembrandt's use of negative space helps to draw attention to his self-portrait. However, they take away from the clothing that Rembrandt is wearing.


 Because of works like these, Rembrandt was considered one of the greatest print makers and painters in European history. Rembrandt's self portraits are highly noted for their ability to portray him as a man without arrogance while simultaneously exhibiting an unwavering sense of calmness.
 and specific biblical text that remain evident in his works.

Rembrandt's Belshazzar's Feast. Rembrandt uses the light at the top right corner of the painting to draw the attention of the viewer to the man standing. In both paintings, I notice that Rembrandt focuses primarily on faces and pushes the values of the clothing to match the background.

Sources:
 http://arthistorygalore.wordpress.com/category/rembrandt/
 http://www.mystudios.com/rembrandt/rembrandt-paintings-turned-up-collar-left.html
http://www.biography.com/people/rembrandt-9455125