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REMBRANDT
The great
Dutch artist,
Rembrandt,
was a very devout Christian. Religious art was a major focus of his paintings
and etchings. This became particularly
frequent after his wife's
death, when he was 38. From 1630 until his death in 1669, Rembrandt created over
800 paintings representing biblical subjects. In fact
"He stood practically alone
as a religious artist, creating for himself a deeply personal and spiritual
record of scriptures"
(Rachliff, 1966, xix).
Jesus
Christ was the main focus of his works. Toward the latter part of his life, he
moved near the Jewish quarters and used Jews as his models for Christ.
"The Saviour was to be the
focus of ...his search for the deepest inward emotions"(Ibid,
xx).
In
Christ and His forgiveness, he found solace and comfort, during the most
difficult years of His life.
AIt is in God's
forgiveness of repentant man, one of the greatest themes in the Gospels, that
most succoured Rembrandt during his difficult later life (Ibid, xx).
Some
authors have concluded that Rembrandt was a member
of the “Mennonite” sect,
based on information provided by his pupil Bernhardt Keil. Some believe that he
belonged to a liberal wing of the sect. Others do not go along with this
conclusion but are willing to only accept that he,
"Had a spiritual affinity to
this sect, with which he shared many basic beliefs"
(Rosemberg, 1964,181).
Today,
Rembrandt's
many works are considered to be some of the greatest art works ever created. God's
presence in Rembrandt's
life provided inspiration for his masterpieces.
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