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Ixiv HISTORICAL SKETCH OF ART
1642 and shows with what skill this master of chiaroscuro could,
by its means, convert a prosaic occurrence, such as that of this band
of citizen musketeers sallying forth from their guildhouse, into a
scene abounding in poetical expression and exciting the liveliest
emotions in the beholder. In the so-called ‘Staalmeesters’ picture,
portraits of the syndics of the Clothmakers’ guild in Amsterdam
(belonging to the year 1661), the entire tone seems to be permeated
by a golden-brown medium. Art has never again produced so rich
and vigorous a picture of life or poetry of colour so entrancing as
these three pictures reveal tous. Unconsciously our thoughts recur
to Shakespeare’s familiar creations, and we recognise in these two
mighty art-champions of the north kindred natures and a correspond-
ing bent of fancy.
It must not, however, be assumed that Rembrandt confined
himself to the representation of ‘Regent’ pieces, portrait groups
(as the ‘Jewish Bride’ in the Ryks Museum at Amsterdam), and
single portraits (e.g. Elizabeth Bas in the Ryks Museum and Jan
Six and Anna Six in the collection of J. P. Six at Amsterdam).
We possess many Scriptural pictures by him, scenes from the New
as well as Old Testament, for the most part scattered in other
countries. The Hague, however, possesses admirable examples of
this class of pictures in ‘Simeon in the Temple’ (bearing the date
1631), ‘Susanna at the bath’ (4637), ‘David and Saul’, a later
brilliantly coloured work (all three in the Mauritshuis), and ‘Bath-
sheba’, in the Steengracht collection. Here, too, Rembrandt preserves
a mode of treatment peculiarly his own. In representations of our
Saviour’s passion the tragic event is pourtrayed in a harsh matter-
of-fact spirit, and might serve to illustrate the well-known hymn,
‘O Head once full of bruises’. A serener, happier expression of
solemnity prevails in the Parables, which enables us fully to realize
their significance, often sufficiently obscure. Scenes from the youth-
ful life of Christ have an idyllic charm of their own, and in all
Rembrandt’s religious compositions the endeayour is apparent to
bring them within the range of human apprehension — a fact im-
portant for a right understanding of the Protestantism of the 17th
century. Rembrandt touched also the regions of Mythology (as is
proved by the painting No. 2024 in the Ryks Museum, p. 394, the
true meaning of which has not yet been satisfactorily explained) ;
but, as will be readily understood, with more doubtful success. On
the other hand his landscapes, devoid of incident though they be,
exhibit the master’s feeling for colour and poetical expression in the
most favourable light.
It need hardly be mentioned that in order to become intimately,
and as it were personally acquainted with Rembrandt, the collection
of his etchings, about 250 in number, and his drawings, over 1500,
must be carefully studied. Among the best-known, the rarest and
most beautiful of his etchings, are ‘Rembrandt’s Portrait with the |
