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Rembrandt van Rihn defines an entire era of remarkable painting both for his innovation in interpretation and his adventurous technique. His many portraits, self-portraits, landscapes, and historical pieces demonstrate his singular talent as a painter and engraver, and reveal much about the man himself. This book looks at Rembrandt's life and art during a great period of culture and enlightenment that produced fellow artists Hals and Vermeer, and the philosopher Spinoza. Rembrandt lived during a "Golden Age" in seventeenth-century Holland. Travel back in time and discover the fascinating history of the period and the masterworks that have awed generations. ... Read more

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Rembrandt’s extraordinary paintings of female nudes—Andromeda, Susanna, Diana and her Nymphs, Danaë, Bathsheba—as well as his etchings of nude women, have fascinated many generations of art lovers and art historians. But they also elicited vehement criticism when first shown, described as against-the-grain, anticlassical—even ugly and unpleasant. However, Rembrandt chose conventional subjects, kept close to time-honored pictorial schemes, and was well aware of the high prestige accorded to the depiction of the naked female body. Why, then, do these works deviate so radically from the depictions of nude women by other artists? To answer this question Eric Jan Sluijter, in Rembrandt and the Female Nude, examines Rembrandt’s paintings and etchings against the background of established pictorial traditions in the Netherlands and Italy. Exploring Rembrandt’s intense dialogue with the works of predecessors and peers, Sluijter demonstrates that, more than any other artist, Rembrandt set out to incite the greatest possible empathy in the viewer, an approach that had far-reaching consequences for the moral and erotic implications of the subjects Rembrandt chose to depict.

            In this richly illustrated study, Sluijter presents an innovative approach to Rembrandt’s views on the art of painting, his attitude towards antiquity and Italian art of the Renaissance, his sustained rivalry with the works of other artists, his handling of the moral and erotic issues inherent in subjects with female nudes, and the nature of his artistic choices.  

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Rembrandt, one of the greatest artists of all time, was spectacularly successful in his twenties and thirties, bankrupt by his fifties, and died an unsung death in 1669 at the age of sixty-three. Along the way, he had to bury four of his five children and the two loves of his life, and he had to look on while his patrons chose the predictable but uninspired work of his pupils over his own increasingly innovative style. Yet adversity seemed only to deepen his faith and his genius. His self-portraits, especially, are testimonies to the human spirit, to eyes that can see beyond the confines of the visible world, but also to the human soul, its tenacity and its aspirations, and to the human body, its beauty, its sagging truth, its essential loveliness, whatever its shape or form.

This is a deeply moving and uplifting book. Part biography, part history, part art appreciation, it takes the example of Rembrandt’s life and work as inspiration for the strength we need to live with passion and an unflinching acceptance of who we are.

Roger Housden shows how the incredible life and work of Rembrandt van Rijn can serve as a wise and honest mirror to clarify our own hopes, struggles, and aspirations. The book consists of six lessons that draw on Rembrandt’s self-portraits and life story: Open your eyes; Love this world; Troubles will come; Stand like a tree; Keep the faith; Embrace the inevitable ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting biographical info, needs color!
Part of my low rating has to do with the format of the book, likely nothing the author could control. That is the paucity of photographs of Rembrandt's paintings--and the ones that are here are in black and white, completely insufficient for a book on a painter famous for his use of colors!
That said, I did find the facts about Rembrandt's life interesting, not having known them before. Those more familiar with those facts will probably not find anything new here. The author's personal thoughts on similarities between Rembrandt's life and our modern lives are occasionally thought-provoking, as we might notice how life hasn't changed that much in over 350 years. But thost same thoughts are not very penetrating, falling under chapter titles such as "Trust your own way," "Love leads to forgiveness," and "Age will come." ... Read more

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On a visit to his rich eccentric uncle, who owns many wonderful paintings, Tom is amazed when Rembrandt leaves his self-portrait and takes a walk with Tom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Her eyes are wide open and took her breath away!!
What a book! I was reading this book to my daughter (7 years old),when she was listening the part of when Tom tried to touch the apple inCezanne's painting and it moved, her eyes are wide open and took her breath away.(I felt that way too.)Tom kept touching his uncle's painting and finaly Renbrandt will move out from the portrait.Mark Strand's story is bizarre and thrilled.It made our heart pounded with expectation, "What's gonna happen next?" Also Red Grooms's powerful illustrations help us to get excited.This is one of the best picture books for kids 4-8.Highly recommended.

Art Student Review
This book was one of the first times I was exposed to Red Groom's work.As a child I felt there was something special about this book and kept it in the living room with my parent's coffeetable books.Now I'm in my thrid year of art school and have a new appreciation of Red Groom's clever illustrations.

Excellent!
Wonderful kids' book, especially as an introduction to works of art ... Read more

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In 1639, Rembrandt paid an enormous sum for a grand, patrician residence in Amsterdam, today's Rembrandthuis. Rembrandt van Rijn was a fanatical collector: he spent thousands of guilders on a unique array of art and curiosities. Eventually, his passion brought him to the brink of financial disaster. By 1656 he was bankrupt and forced to sell his house and his collections. For the auction of his property an inventory was drawn up from which it is now possible to reconstruct his collection and the way he arranged it in his house. In this richly illustrated publication, Rembrandt's activities as a collector are presented to a broad public for the first time.

His shop and his parlor were full of paintings, including work by Pieter Lastman, Jan Lievens, Hercules Seghers, and by Rembrandt himself. One room was set apart as a cabinet. It was here that he kept his costly rarities, including curiosities such as stuffed animals, shells, pieces of coral, exotic plants, oriental lacquer and porcelain, Venetian glass, coins and medals, globes, unusual weapons and casts of ancient sculptures. The cabinet also contained Rembrandt's greatest treasure: 8,000 drawings and prints by the principal Dutch, German, and Italian masters. Rembrandt's studio contained other parts of his collection. All these objects were a constant source of inspiration for Rembrandt, as his work testifies. ... Read more

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This magesterial new work is the first to focus on Rembrandt's portrayal of women.Accompanying a major exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh, and the Royal Acadmey of Arts, London, it examines the women in Rembrandt's life, as well as his unique approach to depicting the female form in paintings, drawings, and prints.Amazon.com Review
Rembrandt famously had three women in his life: Saskia, the burgomaster's daughter, who died at 30; Geertje Dircks, the housekeeper with whom he had a bitter quarrel; and Hendrickje Stoffels, the servant girl who bore him a child and loyally stood by him in bankruptcy. Part of the mystique of his art, fueled by its emotional depth, is that his female figures are portraits of members of his household. The truth of the matter is more cloudy, though, since no documented portraits of the two servants exist. But scholars are interested in many other aspects of Rembrandt's women, as this exceptional book explains in six lively essays and detailed discussions of 140 works. They range from major paintings (Susanna and the Elders, Danae) to intimate etchings and drawings of women in domestic settings.

The essays explore a variety of issues, ranging from the 17th-century Dutch notion of female beauty (was flab more attractive then?) to the significance of handkerchiefs held by women in portraits of the era. A key theme in these pages is the way Rembrandt's transformation of traditional mythological and biblical scenes featuring nude women created a new level of erotic immediacy. Scholars have unearthed some interesting answers to questions like, What sort of woman in 17th-century Amsterdam would allow herself to be portrayed nude in a work of art?

Published to coincide with an exhibition of the same name organized by the National Gallery of Scotland--on view at the Royal Academy of Arts, London through December 16, 2001--Rembrandt's Women offers an abundance of color and black-and-white reproductions in an attractive format. The fresh and far-ranging approach to the artist's life and times make the book a must for every Rembrandt lover's bookshelf. --Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent collection.
This book is by far the most complete collection of drawings and paintings of women by Rembrandt. Very well-written and organized, the book reveals how Rembrandt perceived and expressed the beauty of the female body. Interestingly enough, Rembrandt went above the common practice of his time, that is the use of "goddess-like" proportion in painting females. At one time considered hideous by his contemporaries, Rembrandt's paintings of women are among the most beautiful, earthly, and sensual. Each painting reproduction is so vivid; readers who understand the process of painting by the Old Masters can somewhat picture how ingenius effects may have done just by looking into these plates.

A must-have for any art lover! ... Read more

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The house on the Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam, where Rembrandt lived for more than twenty years, was opened as a museum in 1911. The complete collection of the Rembrandthuis, comprising more than 250 etchings as well as a number of drawings and paintings, have been included in the book. Also included is an extensive introduction about the history of this singular house and about the origins of the collection as well as the descriptive catalogue section. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good purchase
Everything went very well with this purchase. My only comment is that the book was packed in a box larger than necessary and the box stuffed with a large amount of paper. Whenever possible, I suggest, that more appropriate sized boxes be used to keep the amount of packaging as eco-friendly as possible. Thank you.

The Durant's make history fascinating
I have just read the 7th volume of the amazing Story of Civilization, and continue to be impressed with this series.This volume focuses on European civilization from 1558 - 1648 and focuses on such great minds as Shakespeare, Bacon, Montaigne, Rembrandt, Galileo and Descartes.From a political perspective, it focuses on the reigns of Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, and James I of England; Philip II, III, and IV of Spain; Henry III, IV, and Richelieu in France; and the interesting histories of the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, and Russia.The book also touches on the Islamic world at this time.

Durant's prose is very readable and it is also easy to see his likes and dislikes of the characters in history.I personally like to be able to understand how an historian feels about his subject and I have learned to respect his opinions.I'm amazed at how bloody this part of European history was.I knew that the time of the reformation was filled with wars, but didn't realize how long it lasted after the reformation.This volume also shows how difficult it is for man to accept change, though this time frame does begin to show some positive ideas being accepted.From a religious freedom perspective, it is incredible how difficult and painful of a process it was to arrive at the freedoms we take for granted.Reading history really makes me grateful for what we are blessed with.

I highly recommend this series and volume to anyone wanting to understand the story of our civilization.It is filled with beauty and horror.Let us learn from the lessons of history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Neat, but a coffee table type book
This is a good look if you are studying the arts or this artist in particular. Not the best for classroom reference. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Very good book. Very good images.
Good texts and beautiful images. Excelent for art students. ... Read more

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Traces the life and career of one of the world's greatest painters and analyzes Rembrandt's paintings, discussing the artist's use of light and assessing his powerful and perceptive portraits. Original. ... Read more

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This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages. Rembrandt's Etching Technique: An Example is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Peter Morse is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Peter Morse then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

The god of painting
This book is the catalogue for a marvelous exhibition held at the National Gallery in Washington and the Getty in Los Angeles in 2005. It concentrates on the figures of apostlesthe artist painted in the late 1650's and early 1660's, complemented with two portraits of the Virgin. There are some fantastic discoveries, such as the little-known 1661 Virgin of Sorrows (in the collection of a small French museum in the city of Epinal)or the haunting Saint Bavo (Göteborgs Konstmuseum). Each painting is thoroughly analysed and the introductory essays written by experts in the field (National Gallery curator Arthur Wheelock especially)show how important religion was to the artist's life and art.

A valuable addition to the literature on Rembrandt with many high-quality illustrations and, rare enough to be noted, numerous magnified details which enable the reader to distinguish the artist's thick layers of paint. ... Read more

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Throughout his life, Rembrandt created many illustrations of biblical themes. In this book, Rembrandt's inspiring paintings are placed with the corresponding stories of Jesus' life. The beautiful full-color paintings and pen-and-ink drawings bring the events recorded in the Scripture to life in Rembrandt's elegant style. ... Read more

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The famous Frits Lugt Collection, housed in the Institut Néerlandais in Paris, comprises the almost complete graphic oeuvre of Rembrandt. This unique collection of etchings, assembled largely between 1920 and 1935 by the Rembrandt authority Frits Lugt, is characterised by early states and exceptional impressions. This authoritative catalogue comprises two volumes. The first, contains research by Erik Hinterding and includes descriptions of the prints, observations on production methods and distribution of Rembrandt s prints, and research into watermarks. The second, contains stunning colour plates of the artists etchings, reproduced one per page and in most cases prepared directly from the originals. This manner of reproduction, rarely applied because of potential damage to the originals, generates a sharpness and clarity in the print work that is rarely surpassed. In addition this volume also contains x-ray reproductions of around eighty watermarks. ... Read more