Synopses & Reviews
and#147;Ernst van de Wetering's wonderful book has taken us further than almost any study over the past twenty years, towards an understanding of the machinery of Rembrandt's genius. No one attempting to write about Rembrandt in the future will be able to do so without taking this fine work into account.and#8221; and#151;Simon Schama
"Who would not have wanted to look over Rembrandt's shoulder while he painted? Among the countless books on Rembrandt, that by Ernst van de Wetering comes closest to conveying something of this experience because the author combines the qualifications of a trained connoisseur and of a practising painter." and#151;Ernst Gombrich
Review
and#8220;Art lovers from genuine aficionados to weekend museum-goers will find plenty to attract them in this updated reprint.and#8221;
Synopsis
Even during the artist's lifetime, contemporary art lovers considered Rembrandt van Rijn to be an exceptional artist. In this revelatory sequel to the acclaimed
Rembrandt: The Painter at Work, renowned Rembrandt authority Ernst van de Wetering investigates precisely why the artist, from a very early age, was praised by prominent connoisseurs. He argues that Rembrandt, from his very first endeavors in painting, embarked on a journey past all the foundations of the art of painting that, according to (up until now misinterpreted) contemporary written sources, were considered essential in the seventeenth century. Rembrandt never stopped searching for solutions to the pictorial problems that confronted him; this led over time to radical changes in course that can't simply be attributed to stylistic evolution or natural development. In a quest as rigorous and novel as the artist's, van de Wetering reveals how Rembrandt became the best painter the world had ever seen. Gorgeously illustrated throughout, this groundbreaking exploration reconstructs Rembrandt's closely guarded theories and methods, shedding new light both on the artist's exceptional accomplishments and on the practice of painting in the Dutch Golden Age.
Published in association with Amsterdam University Press
Synopsis
Rembrandt's intriguing painting technique stirred the imaginations of art lovers during his lifetime and has done so ever since. In this book, now revised, updated, and with a new foreword by the author, Rembrandt's pictorial intentions and the variety of materials and techniques he applied to create his fascinating effects are unraveled in depth. At the same time, this "archaeology" of Rembrandt's paintings yields information on many other levels and offers a view of Rembrandt's daily practice and artistic considerations while simultaneously providing a more dimensional image of the artist.
Copub: Amsterdam University Press
About the Author
Ernst van de Wetering is Professor Emeritus of Art History at the University of Amsterdam. He has published extensively on Rembrandt and historical painting techniques, as well as in the field of theory and ethics of conservation and restoration.