"[55], Jean-Marie Clarke (1980) advanced a psychological interpretation based on the circular form of the composition and the Yin-Yang-like distribution of light, reading the painting as a Mandala in the Jungian sense: an archetypal symbol of the integrated Self. Advertisement Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, 1653 by Rembrandt Courtesy of www.RembrandtPaintings.com Rembrandt's fame reached far beyond the frontiers of the Netherlands, as is clear from a commission Rembrandt received in 1653 from Sicily. [2] The exact method used to encase this painting is difficult to determine because of the presence of the cradle. (Charles Sedelmeyer, Paris, 1905). [8] [8]Werner Sumowski, Gemlde der Rembrandt-Schler, 6 vols. The last digit is a tiny blob of paint, the form and placing of which would tally with a "0," "1" or "2." It is signed "RHL-van Rijn" and dated 1632, at the time of Rembrandt's move from Leiden to Amsterdam. Rembrandt Workshop (Possibly Willem Drost), overall: 61.5 x 49.5 cm (24 3/16 x 19 1/2 in. 2]  [fig. 1 (Summer, 2007). 20002023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although the work has come to be considered quintessentially Dutch, it was painted for a Sicilian patron at a moment when Rembrandts signature style, with its dark palette and almost sculptural buildup of paint, was beginning to fall out of fashion in Amsterdam. A discussion of the Philosopher in Meditation along essentially Gurdjeffian lines can be found on the Objective Art website (2011).[65]. The composition comprises of many straight, curved, circular, and radiating lines. [15] Korthals Altes claims that Voyer already owned the Koninck when he acquired the Rembrandt, but cites no evidence. The differences between The Philosopher and these other works, however, are more profound than those of age and beard size. Posted 5 years ago. The paint was applied thickly in the light passages, with low impasto and loose brushmarking, and more thinly in the dark passages and the background. [14], As late as 1982, the two paintings were believed to have shared the same provenance as far back as 1734, but this was disproved by the Rembrandt Research Project. [1] The painting was brought to Paris from The Hague in the middle of the 18th century and made the rounds of aristocratic collections before being acquired for the royal collections housed in the Louvre Palace. The type of signaturemonogram plus patronymicwould argue for 1632, for the artist used this type of signature only in this year. [9] The earliest unambiguous reference to the painting is in the catalogue for the sale of the collection of the comte de Fraula in Brussels in 1738. It is not found in Protestant or Jewish biblical canons. 1630 at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (Benesch 64) with the caption "HARMAN GERRITS van der Rhijn" written in Rembrandt's hand that shows his father in a pose similar to that of Tobit here, suggests that he may have been blind at the end of his life. A third figurea woman standing in the stairs carrying a basket and turned to the spectatoris visible in 18th- and 19th-century engraved reproductions of the painting, but virtually invisible in the painting's present state. Maurice Kann [1839-1906], Paris, by 1906;[1] (Charles Sedelmeyer, Paris); sold 20 December 1906 to Peter A. During those years, and particularly from the late 1640s, he frequently depicted Jewish models in his paintings. Through imitating the world in a new format, the poet or painter presents a new vision to the viewer and a new way of knowing the world. Tobit is also referenced in the Meqabyan, a book considered canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The RRP did not introduce any new objective or documentary evidence, but based its judgment on an assessment of Rembrandt's "habits," an appraisal of the painting's style, and the difficulty of fitting it within Rembrandt's production in 1632 or the later 1630s. The architecture includes stone, brick and wood, with arched elements (window, vault, doors) that create an impression of monumentality. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. [11] [11]Jonathan Bikker, Willem Drost (16331659): A Rembrandt Pupil in Amsterdam and Venice (New Haven and London, 2005), 154156, no. A normal copyright tag is still required. Philosopher in Meditation is the traditional title of an oil painting in the Muse du Louvre, Paris, that has long been attributed to the 17th-century Dutch artist Rembrandt. Amsterdam: Rijksmuseum, 2015, pp. He received many commissions and attracted a number of students who came to learn his method of painting. Rembrandt: Philosopher in Meditation ; Artist: Rembrandt (1606-1669) Alternative names: Rembrandt van Rijn, Birth name: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Rembrandt Harmensz. Learn more about our exhibitions, news, programs, and special offers. The middle figure is visible in the 18th and 19th century engraved reproductions of this painting. Nevertheless, a plausible interpretation of the scene is Tobit and Anna waiting for the return of their only son, also called Tobias, a scene that Rembrandt had already represented in another version in 1630, in which Anna's spinning gear is minimally indicated. The main narrative is dedicated to Tobits son, who is sent by his father to collect money in distant Media. [9] [9]See, for example, Drosts Sitting Man with a Plumed Hat, formerly Baron Alphonse de Rothschild Collection, Paris, illus. Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) (Dutch, Leiden 16061669 Amsterdam), Medium: ." As in the staircase and the basketwork tray at the center of the composition, the curved lines can be said to organize the straight lines. Held proposed that here, Aristotle ponders the temporality of worldly success as represented by the golden chain versus the more profound and lasting benefit of wisdom gained from art and literature embodied by Homers bust. The book that sits on his desk maybe a bible but again, this could symbolise all manner of things. On the pre-iconographic level, this is one of the most "graphic" works painted by Rembrandt, in the sense that it contains many straight, curved, circular, and radiating lines: from the lines of the flagstones to those of the window, the bricks, the wainscotting, and of course the staircase. Aristotle wears a gold medallion with a portrait of his powerful pupil, Alexander the Great; perhaps the philosopher is weighing his own worldly success against Homers timeless achievement. Voyer appears to be the originator of the old man's philosophical vocation, most likely inspired by the companion piece, which he also owned and which clearly shows a scholar in his study. The Met's celebrated European Paintings collection encompasses more than 2,500 works of art from the thirteenth through the early twentieth century. The awkward appearance of the hands must have bothered an early collector or restorer. Dating the panel was not possible because of the complex construction. Fig. The painting shows none of the conspicuous attributes of scholarship or philosophybooks, globe, scientific instruments, etc.and the presence of at least one other figure involved in domestic tasks does not fit in with the solitude associated with study and meditation. Christ and the Woman of Samaria; Among the Ruins (1634), Jan Cornelisz Sylvius,the Preacher (1644-1645), Self-Portrait Leaning on a Stone Sill (1639), Portrait of Rembrandt with a Gorget (after c. 1629). "Introduction," inPerspectives on Art at the Haggerty Museum. Few of his paintings left the Dutch Republic while he lived, but his prints were circulated throughout Europe, and his wider reputation was initially based on them alone. (See note dated March 1986 in Conservation department files.). The main board is walnut, and the lower extension is oak. Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item, Title: Menno Jonker One of the most intriguing commissions of a painting by Rembrandt came from Antonio Ruffo in 1653 (now in New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art). Shown from the chest up, a light-skinned man with a gaunt face, wearing a large, dark brown hat, almost fills this vertical painting. A comparable example is his painting A Young Woman in the Wallace Collection, from about 1654 [fig. Florence Simmonds, 8 vols., Paris, 1897-1906, 8: 39, 126, 378), Bode noted on page 126 that the painting was in the Kann Collection and then on page 378 that it had changed hands and was with Sedelmeyer. [37], Jacques Foucart (1982), Curator for Dutch and Fleming Painting at the Louvre, like Horst Gerson (1968)[38] and Werner Sumowski (1983),[39] attributes this work to Salomon Koninck (16091656), a Rembrandt imitator, dating it to around 1645 and titling it Philosopher with an Open Book. [35] The companion painting shows an old man in a vaulted interior seated in front of a table at a window on which we can see books, a globe, and a crucifix. The Kappel painting changed hands three more times and is now in the collection of the Haggerty Museum of Art as attributed to Rembrandt van Rijn [fig. The analysis indicated the presence of vermilion in the ground on the main panel but not on the extension. Read our full Open Access policy for images "[L]e marquis d'Argenson fut le premier auteur du regroupement de ces deux panneaux qu'il exposait 'en regard'. Many of Drost's male sitters, for example, stare intently out of the picture plane, as does this man. Rudolf Steiner, "The History of Art: Rembrandt" (lecture 5), 28 November 1916, Dornach (Eng. I have studied different art movements for over 15 years, and am also an amateur artist myself! Direct link to drszucker's post Some artists still use oi. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The cradled panel support is composed of two vertically grained boards of wood joined horizontally through the figures hands. The painting is mentioned in the writings of many 19th- and 20th-century literary figures, including George Sand, Thophile Gautier, Jules Michelet, Marcel Proust, Paul Valry, Gaston Bachelard, Paul Claudel, and Aldous Huxley. The imprimatura color was incorporated into the radiating lines on the hat, and into the flesh tones, where mid-tones were created by thinly glazing the red underlayer. Among The Mets most celebrated works of art, this painting conveys Rembrandts meditation on the meaning of fame. Rembrandt | Biography, Art, Paintings, Self-Portraits, & Facts 3] Before the 19831984 conservation treatment, Rembrandt Workshop (Possibly Willem Drost), The Philosopher, c. 1653, oil on panel, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Widener Collection, 1942.9.66. Enter and exit from 4th Street. User:Jane023/Paintings in the National Gallery of Art, User:Jane023/Rembrandt catalog raisonn, 1908, User:Jane023/Rembrandt catalog raisonn, 1914, Wikidata:WikiProject sum of all paintings/Collection/National Gallery of Art, Wikidata:WikiProject sum of all paintings/Catalog/Rembrandt catalog raisonn, 1908, Wikidata:WikiProject sum of all paintings/Catalog/Rembrandt catalog raisonn, 1914, Wikidata:WikiProject sum of all paintings/Catalog/Rembrandt catalog raisonn, 1935, Wikidata:WikiProject sum of all paintings/Catalog/Sedelmeyer 1905 9th catalogue of 100 paintings, Wikidata:WikiProject sum of all paintings/Collection/P.A.B. Recent scholarship suggests that the painting depicts Tobit and Anna waiting for their son Tobias.. As Rosenberg has suggested, Rembrandt probably found in the picturesque faces of the Ashkenazi Jews an intense spirituality that suggested to him the spirit of the people who populated the ancient world. Historians of Netherlandish Art. The contour of the robe, moreover, is not sensitively conceived. Most of the image is on a walnut panel, whereas the hands are painted on an oak strip joined to the walnut along the bottom. His chest faces us, leaning over his hands, which are folded along the bottom of the painting. The most current scholarship suggests that the painting is a copy of Rembrandts The Philosopher, c. 1653, which is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. After a hazardous journey, Tobias arrived in Media, he meets the beautiful Sarah and the two marry. 599]); Don Placido Ruffo, principe della Scaletta, Messina (until 1710); Don Antonio Ruffo II, principe della Scaletta, Messina (171039); Don Calogero Ruffo, principe della Scaletta, Messina (173943); Don Giovanni Ruffo e la Rocca, principe della Scaletta, Messina (174355); ?Ruffo family, Messina (from 1755); ?Vaughan (until 1810; sale, Christie's, London, February 17, 1810, no. [2] [2]Louis-Michel Van Loo sale, Paris, December 14, 1772, no. 3] Before the 19831984 conservation treatment, Rembrandt Workshop (Possibly Willem Drost). The richly clad Greek philosopher Aristotle (384322 B.C.) Find more prominent pieces of genre painting at Wikiart.org - best visual art database. [4] [4]Abraham Bredius, Rembrandt, Schilderijen (Vienna, 1935), 11, no. Unlike most Dutch masters of the 17th century, Rembrandt's works depict a wide range of style and subject matter, from portraits and self-portraits to landscapes, genre scenes, allegorical and historical scenes, and biblical and mythological themes as well as animal studies. On the pre-iconographic level, this is one of the most "graphic" works painted by Rembrandt, in the sense that it contains many straight, curved, circular, and radiating lines: from the lines of the flagstones to those of the window, the bricks, the wainscotting, and of course the staircase. Hand-painted, Museum quality rolled canvas. [3] The ground and paint in the main panel and the bottom extension were analyzed by the NGA Scientific Research department using cross-sections and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (see resports dated August 22, 1984; August 24, 1984; April 24, 1986, in NGA Conservation department files). Visiting Van Goghs Cypresses? Autoportrait au chevalet by Rembrandt shows the artist standing in front of . At a time when he was searching for a deeper emotional understanding of biblical and historical figures, he found in these care-worn faces an underlying philosophical awareness of human existence. [4] As it is, the overall lighting is warm and quite subdued owing to the yellowing of the varnish. This, he held, was precisely the essence of Rembrandt's art. Philosopher in Meditation is an artwork on USEUM. 1867); his brother, Adelbert Wellington Brownlow Cust, 3rd Earl Brownlow, Ashridge Park (1867at least 1893); Rodolphe Kann, Paris (by 1897d. With Rembrandt, the colossus of Art! Aristotle was held in high regard not only as a poet and philosopher but also as an important commenter on Homer and the teacher of. (by 1815d. ARISTOTLE CONTEMPLATING A BUST OF HOMER By Rembrandt http://www.artchive.com/artchive/R/rembrandt/aristotl.jpg.html "Rembrandt had one foreign patron, a Sicilian nobleman, who asked him to paint a philosopher. [7] [7]Arnold Houbraken, De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen 3 vols. "Philosopher in Meditation" Rembrandt - Artwork on USEUM Rembrandt Workshop (Possibly Willem Drost) The Philosopher,ca. [22] At the sale of the comte de Vence's collection in 1761, the Philosophe en mditation (Koninck) was purchased for 2,999 livres by a relative of the deceased, the marquis de Vence, who turned around and sold it to the duc de Choiseul, then Secretary of State for the Navy and War. . The Mauritshuis, Detail, Rembrandt, Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, 1653, oil on canvas, 143.5 x 136.5 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). [31] Ruffo 1916, and in Ref. [7] This does not mean that the picture was painted in that year or even in Amsterdam, to which Rembrandt had moved in late 1631. The latter had the two reproduced for the catalogue of his collection by Louis Surugue with the titles Philosophe en mditation (Koninck) and Philosophe en contemplation (Rembrandt). In the paintings current state, Aristotle is depicted in three-quarter length. Free art print of The Philosopher by Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn. 1815, no. Milwaukee, WI: Haggerty Museum of Art, 2006: 12-13.Publisher link. Assistant Curator Adam Eaker invites readers to see The Met's five paintings by Johannes Vermeer in a new installation in gallery 630. Tobit is an Israelite living in Nineveh after Sargon II had deported the northern tribes of Israel to Assyria in 721 BC. As Rosenberg has suggested, Rembrandt probably found in the picturesque faces of the Ashkenazi Jews an intense spirituality that suggested to him the spirit of the people who populated the ancient world. The Philosopher . 114, "Schoolmaster with his Pupil," the companion, for 32.11, presumably "Homer," now Mauritshuis, The Hague]); Sir Abraham Hume, Ashridge Park, Berkhampstead, Herts. Significantly, the engraver reproduced the Koninck picture first and showed it at the Salon of 1753,[19] while he reproduced the Rembrandt in the following year and showed it at the Salon of 1755. [1] At a time when he was searching for a deeper emotional understanding of biblical and historical figures, he found in these "[60] The German art historian Karl Clausberg also pointed out the "ocular nature" of the scene and gave it a conceptual framework in his 1999 book "Neuronale Kunstgeschichte. The objects depicted suggest a domestic setting, yet the improbable architecture speaks more for a history than a genre subject. Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded. B. Widener bought it. [58] More recently, Clarke published an interpretation on the internet that relates Rembrandt's composition to the design of his signature in 1632. The background, by contrast, dissolves into obscure and ambiguous darkness, possibly enhanced over time. 65; sold to Duveen); [Duveen, Paris and New York, 1907; sold to Huntington]; Mrs. Collis P. (Arabella D.) Huntington, later [from 1913] Mrs. Henry E. Huntington, New York (1907d. This week, artist Anselm Kiefer, author of a permanent dcor at the Louvre in 2007, brings together two of Rembrandt's masterpieces from the Louvre collection - Self-Portrait with an Easel and Meditating Philosopher. London. The Book of Tobit is a book of scripture that is part of the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canons. Court Mtrage Short Films Added: 21 Dec, 2020 Brotherhood [2018] Directed by: Meryam Joobeur Written by: Meryam Joobeur Produced by: Maria Gracia Turgeon, Habib Attia Mohamed is deeply shaken when his oldest son Malik returns home after a long journey with a mysterious new wife. "The painting of Rembrandt Philosophe en mditation (1632, Louvre Paris) can be characterized as a pictorial meditation on the miracle of vision. The Philosopher is painted on a panel made out of two different types of wood. Thus, although this work is neither signed nor dated, it must have been created in the mid-1650s, and, perhaps somewhat earlier, because the figure looks slightly younger. 1, no. Korthals Altes, 2001, 259, note 32, which lists the sale catalogues known to have belonged to Lormier. 329. However, very few artists still use traditional sizing. This painting of a bearded man with chiseled features and penetrating eyes is a tronie, a bust-length figure study, rather than a formal portrait. The painting has long been recognized as a significant work of seventeenth-century Dutch art. In the GroundGround The layer or layers used to prepare the support to hold the paint. "Philosopher in Meditation" by Rembrandt depicts two figures in a partially vaulted interior that is dominated by the central wooden spiral staircase. Photo National Gallery, London / Art Resource, NY. List of drawings by Rembrandt - Wikipedia Oil on canvas, Dimensions: This article analyzes the contradictory identifications of the subject of this work, from the very moment it arrived in Messina. [10], The painting was bought by Jacques de Roore, an agent bidding on behalf of Willem Lormier, art collector and dealer in The Hague, whose wax seal is still on the back of the panel. 29. Philosopher in Meditation engraved after Rembrandt by Devilliers lan in 1814. The figure on the right is that of an older woman tending a fire in an open hearth. The curved stairs of which we can see from above and below also demonstrates the wide skills of this artist whose career would produce landscapes, architectural pieces and portraits at a high level. Rembrandt's foremost contribution in the history of printmaking was his transformation of the etching process from a relatively new reproductive technique into a true art form, along with Jacques Callot. The Philosopher in Meditation by Rembrandt Van Rijn - YouTube Korthals Altes cites the date of sale as 21 June 1748, p. 271, Anne Leclair as 26 May 1748, p. 38. 11 and 12, p. 199. Rembrandt never went abroad, but he was considerably influenced by the work of the Italian masters and Netherlandish artists who had studied in Italy, like Pieter Lastman, the Utrecht Caravaggists, Flemish Baroque, and Peter Paul Rubens. Jean-Pierre Dautun "Le Philosophe en mditation de Rembrandt", Tobit and Anna waiting for their son Tobias, Jean-Marie Clarke, "Le Philosophe en mditation du Louvre: un tableau sign 'RHL-van Rijn' et dat '1632,'", "034 (034, 27): To Theo van Gogh. van Rijn, date QS:P,+1650-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1625-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1669-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902, date QS:P571,+1653-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902, medium QS:P186,Q296955;P186,Q106857709,P518,Q861259. The Book of Tobit was one of Rembrandts frequent Old Testament sources. rests his hand pensively on a bust of Homer, the epic poet who had attained literary immortality with his Iliad and Odyssey centuries before. The two paintings hung together briefly at the National Gallery of Art in the late 1990s. Although the title in the Louvre's publications remains Philosophe en mditation[32] catalogues of Rembrandt's painted oeuvre, starting with Bredius (1935) identify the subject more soberly as a "Scholar in an Interior with a Winding Stair. With that, he attributed the paintings to Salomon Koninck, though one, today's Rembrandt, only tentatively. Just when the hands had been overpainted could not be determined by technical examination, but it was clearly done at a relatively late date because the overpaint covered old-age crackle and paint losses. I'm the writer and founder of TheHistoryOfArt.org. Rembrandt (1606-1669): Paintings - The Metropolitan Museum of Art 5181. [2], A thin white or beige ground layer is present on both upper and lower panel boards, with variations in composition. . Several changes are visible as pentimenti, in infrared reflectography,[4] and in the X-radiographs. Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio. Paris, Monday, 31 May 1875. See Emile Dacier. is it similar to modern day art supplies? 260, writes about the Kappel version: I am not convinced either by the authenticity of the signature, or by the attribution. One notable exception is the opinion of R. Langston Douglas, Three Pictures by Rembrandt from the Van Loo Collection, Art in America 36 (April 1948): 6974, who wrote that the Kappel version (then being offered for sale by Duveen in New York) was the original.
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