3 February, 2015
The Art of Rembrandt
Posted by Socrates in art, Rembrandt, Socrates, White art/architecture at 7:56 pm | 
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(Above: an early Rembrandt, titled “Portrait of Marten Looten,” 1632)
Late Rembrandts are too dark and abstract. But early Rembrandts can’t be beat. The detail and the coloring are fantastic.
4 February, 2015 at 2:48 am
There is some speculation that 17trh century Dutch painters like Rembrandt may have used projection optics or “magic lanterns” to paint with such minute detail and realism. One possible tip-off is the fact that this gent is holding the document in his left hand, not his right. That might suggest this painting was done using a backwards mirror-image projected on to the canvas. But at any rate it’s a magnificent portrait that makes the subject look alive, vital and human, not the usual remote and idealized pose.
4 February, 2015 at 2:57 am
But then again the letter in Mr. Looten’s hand is written in the right direction, it’s not backwards. However, it’s possible the letter was originally written backwards so that it would appear correct in the reversed projection. But I think we can all agree that the Jews and niggers must go.
4 February, 2015 at 6:20 am
Visitors to Amsterdam must visit Rembrandt’s House. It’s a strenuous walk from Centraal Station through the crowds of muds and nigs, but on getting there you will be welcomed into an Aryan oasis. There are demonstrations on metal engraving, printing, canvas preparation, and paint making. Quite an education.
4 February, 2015 at 11:17 am
Don’t forget about the Amsterdam Red Light District XXX
Really nice portrait, but I couldn’t help noticing the large ears. Mention of the backward mirror by Tim McGreen reminds me of reverse mirror used by Da Vinci to conceal valuable knowledge considered devil authorship by the Church of Rome. Persecution by the church oftentimes led to gruesome execution by the Inquisitors. The Jew/Christian mentality is a constant. If those people can’t make something go away, they simply turn it inside-out and make it their own.
4 February, 2015 at 12:12 pm
/sarcasm on
I personally think it would be a fantastic thing, if Rembrandt could be reincarnated, and brought into the future, so he could be hired to do a painting of the ghetto bred, black Seattle Seahawks player pretending to shit a football out of his degenerate negro asshole last Sunday in the Super Bowl.
I would also like to see Rembrandt personally autograph the finished painting, and then see it presented to the First Mulatto in our White House, as a celebration of Black History Month.
/sarcasm off
4 February, 2015 at 2:44 pm
Rembrandt was no stranger to sarcasm. The famous ‘Night Watch’ painting is a subtle piss-take of the local dad’s army militia.
4 February, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Luke, I think you missed your calling as a professional art critic.
5 February, 2015 at 9:00 am
Here is a handling of chiaroscuro by a modern master:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/249809110556003619/
6 February, 2015 at 11:08 am
Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze.
Thom, I remember being a mere lad seeing that book cover. I was mesmerized.
The stark isolation of the bronze man, his brooding nature, the implicit threat in his awesome musculature.
The cover art was much better than the book.
21 March, 2015 at 6:08 am
It is a matter of taste – the early Rembrandt is technically perfect and it is no surprise that he, as a genius, wanted to explore and develop his style, by cleverly letting go of realism everywhere and substituting it for the more impressionistic and more emotional style he later had. Take a look at the Late Rembrandt now on display in the Rijksmuseum – all are stunning masterpieces, that have clever details (usually eyes) to draw you in, and once there, it does not matter details fade out around the subject’s face.