rembrandt’s late religious portraits rembrandt and his models
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[Brochure]REMBRANDT’S LATE RELIGIOUS PORTRAITS At the Getty Center,
June 7–August 28, 2005
Rembrandt and His Models
Rembrandt’s depictions of apostles, evangelists, and related figures blur the
distinction between religious painting and portraiture. He achieved an unusually direct
relationship with his viewers by portraying men and women of faith as vulnerable
human beings whose trials are evident in their furrowed brows and rough, rugged
hands. As had long been his practice, Rembrandt used contemporaries as models for
many of the works in this exhibition. The model for the Getty’s Apostle Bartholomew
was certainly an acquaintance, perhaps even a patron who asked to be portrayed in
the guise of the martyr. The dark-haired man with deep-set eyes in A Bearded Man in
a Cap appears again in a more idealized form in The Apostle Paul, and Rembrandt’s
longtime companion Hendrickje Stoffels appears as the Sorrowing Virgin. Even in
Protestant Holland, the 12 apostles, disseminators of Christ’s teachings and witnesses
to the biblical text, remained popular and relevant subjects. For these portraits,
Rembrandt minimized the attributes by which they were traditionally identified, such
as the instruments of their martyrdom, emphasizing instead their inner spiritual life,
uncertainties, and convictions.
A Guide to Subjects and Sitters The Apostle Paul Along with Saint Peter, Saint Paul was one of the founders of the Christian Church and the author of the Epistles. Although not one of the original 12 apostles, he was usually included in apostle series. Saint Paul’s attributes are a book or a scroll and a sword, both the figurative “sword of the Spirit” and the instrument with which he was beheaded. For Rembrandt, Paul was the most important biblical subject of the group in the exhibition, and the artist expressed his own identification with the apostle in the form of a self-portrait.
-more-
Page 2
The Apostle Paul, about 1657 National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Rembrandt made several changes to the composition of this painting, which was originally conceived as an oval. He moved the book from a lectern underneath Paul’s elbow onto the table, thus altering the implications of the apostle’s pose to emphasize his meditation.
An Elderly Man as the Apostle Paul, 165(9?) The National Gallery, London Particularly fine brushwork describes the features of the unknown man in the guise of the apostle Paul. The roundel on the wall to the left of the saint depicts Abraham’s Sacrifice, a subject closely connected with Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews. It underscores one of the central aspects of the apostle’s teachings: faith over good works.
Self -Portrait as the Apostle Paul, 1661 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Rembrandt as Saint Paul turns the manuscript, first painted as a scroll, outward for our inspection. He presses the sword of martyrdom close to his body. A study of the painting shows that the sword was inserted while the previous paint layer was still wet. Rembrandt’s distinctive features, round eyes, and bulbous nose, and his age (55) are unidealized and unheroic, characterizing the saint not as a Christian soldier or scholar but as the humble and undeserving recipient of divine grace. Unlike other portrayals of the apostle on view in this exhibition, Rembrandt as Saint Paul gazes somewhat quizzically at the viewer, asserting the artist’s spiritual identification with Paul and, perhaps, the saint’s human limitations.
-more-
Page 3
The Apostle Bartholomew Little is known about Bartholomew, who was believed to have spread the Gospel in Armenia. His attribute, a knife, refers to the manner of his martyrdom, when he was skinned alive.
The Apostle Bartholomew, 1657 The Putnam Foundation, Timken Museum of Art, San Diego Rembrandt employed a dynamic pose and strong lighting to convey the vigorous energy of this proselytizing saint. The energetic and relatively youthful treatment of the apostle may have been paired with the imposing portrayal of the contemplative Apostle Paul of the same date from the collection of the National Gallery of Art (above).
The Apostle Bartholomew, 1661
The J. Paul Getty Museum As in the 1657 depiction of Bartholomew, the knife is incidental to the description of the apostle’s character, conveyed here through the short, choppy brushwork in the face. Only the gray, sagging flesh of the hand alludes to his fate. One of several apostle subjects executed in 1661, this painting presents the saint in an assertive frontal stance, which may be the result of Rembrandt’s desire to vary the poses among a group of these substantial figures.
Other Apostles
The Apostle James the Major, 1661 Private Collection John’s brother and one of the apostles closest to Christ, James the Major was often depicted as a pilgrim wearing a cloak and carrying a staff and a hat. Traditional attributes of pilgrimage, scallop shells, appear on both his shoulder and hat. Legend relates that he carried out his mission in Spain and was buried there.
-more-
Page 4
The Apostle Simon, 1661 Kunsthaus Zürich Simon’s contemplative state contrasts with his robust figure. Said to have preached the gospel in Mesopotamia and Syria with St. Jude, he rests upon the handle of a broad saw, the symbol of his martyrdom (he was sawed in half for his beliefs).
The Apostle James the Minor, or Possibly Christ with a Pilgrim’s Staff, 1661 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York The resemblance of this youthful figure to Rembrandt’s images of Christ, and the lack of obvious attributes, has contributed to various interpretations of the subject. The apostle’s traditional resemblance to Christ, combined with the staff or club just visible in the foreground and the temple setting, led to a recent identification of the subject as James the Minor, first bishop of Jerusalem. While certain elements, such as the scratching in wet paint, recall Rembrandt’s technique, the overall handling is less assured and descriptive and is likely the work of a pupil.
Saint Bavo, about 1662–65 Göteborgs Konstmuseum, Sweden This bearded, dark-eyed man may be Bavo, a medieval Flemish knight who abandoned his dissolute habits to embrace an acetic life as a hermit. He was the patron saint of two of the largest churches in the Low Countries, Saint Bavo in Haarlem and Saint Baafs in Ghent. However, like the apostles Bartholomew and James the Major, Rembrandt’s depiction diverged from Catholic pictorial tradition. Bavo appears here in his worldly guise, wearing armor and carrying a falcon, symbols of his past indulgences. His horse and a page stand behind him.
-more-
Page 5
Other Religious Figures Christ In apostle series it was traditional to include a representation of Christ with his disciples. It is not known whether either of the images exhibited here was part of such a series or was paired with a representation of the Virgin.
Christ, 1657–61 Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, New York Christ appears here according to Dutch convention, as a young man with long, brown hair and a beard. The model for this work was probably painted from life and may have been one of the young Jewish men who served as the inspiration for some of Rembrandt’s other religious subjects. In the early 20th
century, the central portion of the image was cut away and removed by thieves, and it was later reattached. The lower section of the painting has been restored, and Christ’s left hand is a modern reconstruction.
The Resurrected Christ, 1661 Bayerisches Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakothek, Munich While the frontality of his pose, with the wound in his side just visible, recalls medieval icons, Rembrandt characterized Christ in particularly human and compassionate fashion, with a direct gaze and parted lips. The painting was probably originally rectangular, a format that would have permitted the inclusion of Christ’s gesture, perhaps to the wound in his side.
-more-
Page 6
Hendrickje Stoffels, Possibly as the Sorrowing Virgin, 1660 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Stoffels was Rembrandt’s companion from about 1647 until her death in 1663. The artist’s reputation was shaken when, in 1654, Hendrickje became pregnant and was punished by the Dutch Reformed Church. She is sympathetically portrayed here in the guise of a biblical figure in a work that is unfinished. Her rich cloak with fur collar and her elaborate hair ornament recall Mary Magdalene. Her matronly appearance has led other scholars to propose that Rembrandt, inspired by a print series of the apostles from about 1590 (also on view in the exhibition), portrayed her—anguished and alone—as the Virgin of Sorrows.
The Virgin of Sorrows, 1661 Musée Départemental d’Art Ancien et Contemporain, Épinal, France While the half-length and frontal format of this work is similar to the other religious figures Rembrandt painted during this period, it is unlikely that it was part of a series of apostles. Although she may have been paired with Christ or The Resurrected Christ, the woman’s slightly bowed pose, and particularly the hand pressed to her chest, are in keeping with visual traditions of portraying the Virgin isolated by sorrow after the Crucifixion.
A Bearded Man in a Cap, 165(7?) The National Gallery, London The model for this portrait is thought to have been one of Rembrandt’s many Jewish acquaintances. He was fascinated by their picturesque appearance, which represented for him an earlier, biblical time, and by the hardships they endured as immigrants to Amsterdam. His features inspired Rembrandt’s treatment of the Apostle Paul (National Gallery of Art, Washington).
-more-
Page 7
A Man in a Red Cap, Possibly an Evangelist, 1660 Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam This figure appears to be a portrait, though the subject, whether contemporary or historical, is unclear. Standing before an open volume, quill in hand, he may be one of the four evangelists, a businessman, or a scholar. While the paint surface is worn and some of the delicate details of the costume are lost, Rembrandt’s use of the palette knife can be seen defining the edge of the desk.
MEDIA CONTACT: John Getty 310- jgiur The J. Paul Getty Trust is an int the visual arts that features the J. Conservation Institute, and the G are based at the Getty Center in L Visiting the Getty Center: The Getty Center is open Tuesday Friday and Saturday from 10 a. Admission to the Getty Center is required. Reservations are require 310-440-7300 (English or Spanis who are deaf or hearing impaired Additional information is availab
A Monk Reading, Possibly Saint Francis, 1661 Sinebrychoff Art Museum, Helsinki Despite the long-standing ban against religious orders in the Netherlands, Rembrandt’s depictions of monks from the late 1650s reveal his fascination with the lives of holy figures. The broadly executed brown cloak, with its rough seams, envelops the older man and leaves his face in shadow. The brilliant light that illuminates the edge of the folded vellum sheet emphasizes his absorption in the text.
# # # Giurini Communications Dept.
ernational cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty
etty Foundation. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs os Angeles.
through Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Mondays and major holidays. always free. Parking is available for a $7; no reservation d for event seating and groups of 15 or more. Please call
h) for reservations and information. The TTY line for callers is 310-440-7305.
le on the Getty Web site at www.getty.edu.
At the Getty Center, June 7–August 28, 2005
Rembrandt and His Models
A Guide to Subjects and Sitters
The Apostle Paul
The Apostle Bartholomew
Rembrandt and His Models
Rembrandt’s depictions of apostles, evangelists, and related figures blur the
distinction between religious painting and portraiture. He achieved an unusually direct
relationship with his viewers by portraying men and women of faith as vulnerable
human beings whose trials are evident in their furrowed brows and rough, rugged
hands. As had long been his practice, Rembrandt used contemporaries as models for
many of the works in this exhibition. The model for the Getty’s Apostle Bartholomew
was certainly an acquaintance, perhaps even a patron who asked to be portrayed in
the guise of the martyr. The dark-haired man with deep-set eyes in A Bearded Man in
a Cap appears again in a more idealized form in The Apostle Paul, and Rembrandt’s
longtime companion Hendrickje Stoffels appears as the Sorrowing Virgin. Even in
Protestant Holland, the 12 apostles, disseminators of Christ’s teachings and witnesses
to the biblical text, remained popular and relevant subjects. For these portraits,
Rembrandt minimized the attributes by which they were traditionally identified, such
as the instruments of their martyrdom, emphasizing instead their inner spiritual life,
uncertainties, and convictions.
A Guide to Subjects and Sitters The Apostle Paul Along with Saint Peter, Saint Paul was one of the founders of the Christian Church and the author of the Epistles. Although not one of the original 12 apostles, he was usually included in apostle series. Saint Paul’s attributes are a book or a scroll and a sword, both the figurative “sword of the Spirit” and the instrument with which he was beheaded. For Rembrandt, Paul was the most important biblical subject of the group in the exhibition, and the artist expressed his own identification with the apostle in the form of a self-portrait.
-more-
Page 2
The Apostle Paul, about 1657 National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Rembrandt made several changes to the composition of this painting, which was originally conceived as an oval. He moved the book from a lectern underneath Paul’s elbow onto the table, thus altering the implications of the apostle’s pose to emphasize his meditation.
An Elderly Man as the Apostle Paul, 165(9?) The National Gallery, London Particularly fine brushwork describes the features of the unknown man in the guise of the apostle Paul. The roundel on the wall to the left of the saint depicts Abraham’s Sacrifice, a subject closely connected with Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews. It underscores one of the central aspects of the apostle’s teachings: faith over good works.
Self -Portrait as the Apostle Paul, 1661 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Rembrandt as Saint Paul turns the manuscript, first painted as a scroll, outward for our inspection. He presses the sword of martyrdom close to his body. A study of the painting shows that the sword was inserted while the previous paint layer was still wet. Rembrandt’s distinctive features, round eyes, and bulbous nose, and his age (55) are unidealized and unheroic, characterizing the saint not as a Christian soldier or scholar but as the humble and undeserving recipient of divine grace. Unlike other portrayals of the apostle on view in this exhibition, Rembrandt as Saint Paul gazes somewhat quizzically at the viewer, asserting the artist’s spiritual identification with Paul and, perhaps, the saint’s human limitations.
-more-
Page 3
The Apostle Bartholomew Little is known about Bartholomew, who was believed to have spread the Gospel in Armenia. His attribute, a knife, refers to the manner of his martyrdom, when he was skinned alive.
The Apostle Bartholomew, 1657 The Putnam Foundation, Timken Museum of Art, San Diego Rembrandt employed a dynamic pose and strong lighting to convey the vigorous energy of this proselytizing saint. The energetic and relatively youthful treatment of the apostle may have been paired with the imposing portrayal of the contemplative Apostle Paul of the same date from the collection of the National Gallery of Art (above).
The Apostle Bartholomew, 1661
The J. Paul Getty Museum As in the 1657 depiction of Bartholomew, the knife is incidental to the description of the apostle’s character, conveyed here through the short, choppy brushwork in the face. Only the gray, sagging flesh of the hand alludes to his fate. One of several apostle subjects executed in 1661, this painting presents the saint in an assertive frontal stance, which may be the result of Rembrandt’s desire to vary the poses among a group of these substantial figures.
Other Apostles
The Apostle James the Major, 1661 Private Collection John’s brother and one of the apostles closest to Christ, James the Major was often depicted as a pilgrim wearing a cloak and carrying a staff and a hat. Traditional attributes of pilgrimage, scallop shells, appear on both his shoulder and hat. Legend relates that he carried out his mission in Spain and was buried there.
-more-
Page 4
The Apostle Simon, 1661 Kunsthaus Zürich Simon’s contemplative state contrasts with his robust figure. Said to have preached the gospel in Mesopotamia and Syria with St. Jude, he rests upon the handle of a broad saw, the symbol of his martyrdom (he was sawed in half for his beliefs).
The Apostle James the Minor, or Possibly Christ with a Pilgrim’s Staff, 1661 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York The resemblance of this youthful figure to Rembrandt’s images of Christ, and the lack of obvious attributes, has contributed to various interpretations of the subject. The apostle’s traditional resemblance to Christ, combined with the staff or club just visible in the foreground and the temple setting, led to a recent identification of the subject as James the Minor, first bishop of Jerusalem. While certain elements, such as the scratching in wet paint, recall Rembrandt’s technique, the overall handling is less assured and descriptive and is likely the work of a pupil.
Saint Bavo, about 1662–65 Göteborgs Konstmuseum, Sweden This bearded, dark-eyed man may be Bavo, a medieval Flemish knight who abandoned his dissolute habits to embrace an acetic life as a hermit. He was the patron saint of two of the largest churches in the Low Countries, Saint Bavo in Haarlem and Saint Baafs in Ghent. However, like the apostles Bartholomew and James the Major, Rembrandt’s depiction diverged from Catholic pictorial tradition. Bavo appears here in his worldly guise, wearing armor and carrying a falcon, symbols of his past indulgences. His horse and a page stand behind him.
-more-
Page 5
Other Religious Figures Christ In apostle series it was traditional to include a representation of Christ with his disciples. It is not known whether either of the images exhibited here was part of such a series or was paired with a representation of the Virgin.
Christ, 1657–61 Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, New York Christ appears here according to Dutch convention, as a young man with long, brown hair and a beard. The model for this work was probably painted from life and may have been one of the young Jewish men who served as the inspiration for some of Rembrandt’s other religious subjects. In the early 20th
century, the central portion of the image was cut away and removed by thieves, and it was later reattached. The lower section of the painting has been restored, and Christ’s left hand is a modern reconstruction.
The Resurrected Christ, 1661 Bayerisches Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakothek, Munich While the frontality of his pose, with the wound in his side just visible, recalls medieval icons, Rembrandt characterized Christ in particularly human and compassionate fashion, with a direct gaze and parted lips. The painting was probably originally rectangular, a format that would have permitted the inclusion of Christ’s gesture, perhaps to the wound in his side.
-more-
Page 6
Hendrickje Stoffels, Possibly as the Sorrowing Virgin, 1660 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Stoffels was Rembrandt’s companion from about 1647 until her death in 1663. The artist’s reputation was shaken when, in 1654, Hendrickje became pregnant and was punished by the Dutch Reformed Church. She is sympathetically portrayed here in the guise of a biblical figure in a work that is unfinished. Her rich cloak with fur collar and her elaborate hair ornament recall Mary Magdalene. Her matronly appearance has led other scholars to propose that Rembrandt, inspired by a print series of the apostles from about 1590 (also on view in the exhibition), portrayed her—anguished and alone—as the Virgin of Sorrows.
The Virgin of Sorrows, 1661 Musée Départemental d’Art Ancien et Contemporain, Épinal, France While the half-length and frontal format of this work is similar to the other religious figures Rembrandt painted during this period, it is unlikely that it was part of a series of apostles. Although she may have been paired with Christ or The Resurrected Christ, the woman’s slightly bowed pose, and particularly the hand pressed to her chest, are in keeping with visual traditions of portraying the Virgin isolated by sorrow after the Crucifixion.
A Bearded Man in a Cap, 165(7?) The National Gallery, London The model for this portrait is thought to have been one of Rembrandt’s many Jewish acquaintances. He was fascinated by their picturesque appearance, which represented for him an earlier, biblical time, and by the hardships they endured as immigrants to Amsterdam. His features inspired Rembrandt’s treatment of the Apostle Paul (National Gallery of Art, Washington).
-more-
Page 7
A Man in a Red Cap, Possibly an Evangelist, 1660 Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam This figure appears to be a portrait, though the subject, whether contemporary or historical, is unclear. Standing before an open volume, quill in hand, he may be one of the four evangelists, a businessman, or a scholar. While the paint surface is worn and some of the delicate details of the costume are lost, Rembrandt’s use of the palette knife can be seen defining the edge of the desk.
MEDIA CONTACT: John Getty 310- jgiur The J. Paul Getty Trust is an int the visual arts that features the J. Conservation Institute, and the G are based at the Getty Center in L Visiting the Getty Center: The Getty Center is open Tuesday Friday and Saturday from 10 a. Admission to the Getty Center is required. Reservations are require 310-440-7300 (English or Spanis who are deaf or hearing impaired Additional information is availab
A Monk Reading, Possibly Saint Francis, 1661 Sinebrychoff Art Museum, Helsinki Despite the long-standing ban against religious orders in the Netherlands, Rembrandt’s depictions of monks from the late 1650s reveal his fascination with the lives of holy figures. The broadly executed brown cloak, with its rough seams, envelops the older man and leaves his face in shadow. The brilliant light that illuminates the edge of the folded vellum sheet emphasizes his absorption in the text.
# # # Giurini Communications Dept.
ernational cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty
etty Foundation. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs os Angeles.
through Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Mondays and major holidays. always free. Parking is available for a $7; no reservation d for event seating and groups of 15 or more. Please call
h) for reservations and information. The TTY line for callers is 310-440-7305.
le on the Getty Web site at www.getty.edu.
At the Getty Center, June 7–August 28, 2005
Rembrandt and His Models
A Guide to Subjects and Sitters
The Apostle Paul
The Apostle Bartholomew