Rembrant Van Rijn, The Elevation Of The Cross Flashcards
whats the subject matter (what does it depict, figures, setting etc)
-elevation of the cross (one of most important events in Jesus’s life after Judicous revealed his location)
-there are 3 roman soldiers (one with shining armour with back to viewers and two in the shadows putting cross into position)
-at centre of painting there is a self portrait of Rembrandt illuminated wearing blue and a beret (unrealistic, humanist tendency)
-turbanned man mounted on a white horse directly behind self portrait. Looks directly at viewer implying shared guilt at callous nature of act
-shadowy figures stand around scene
-in the background on the right we can make out one of the thieves carrying his cross
-christ raised on cross is focal point
artist
Rembrandt Van Rijn
date
1633
medium
oil on canvas
in which gospels is the elevation of the cross described in (and what do they say)
various ones: mark, Matthew, luke, John
they say having been sentanced to death , christ carries the cross up Golgotha where he is crucified. He is mocked by soldiers and officials and people gamble over his clothes. two thieves are crucified on either side.
what gospel was the presence of soldiers and rulers mentioned in
The presence of soldiers and ‘rulers’ at the crucifixion who sneered at Christ, is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew 27:32-56 and Luke 23:26-43.
effect of christ being illuminated
-holy directional light illuminates christ on the cross (shows divinity as most intense on Jesus)
-the fact light source is invisible implies that the light source is holy, reinforcing christ’s divinity
-light shining on christ also draws attention to rembrants self portrait who is by jesus’s feet helping with elevation
-armour shines from same light source drawing our eye around the painting
-centre mid ground is turbanned man on white horse who is semi illuminated, further draws eye
V composition created through light
*The strong composition and use of light draws our attention to three particular figures: Christ; Rembrandt and the turbaned figure in the middle-ground. Not only do all three figures create a strong ‘V’ composition but theirs are the only faces which are illuminated.
composition
-jesus’s figure is set up diagonally across from centre to the right hand corner creating focal point
who are we drawn to initially and why
strong composition and use of light draws attention to 3 figures initially: jesus, rembrandt, turbanned man due to use of rembrandt lighting
whats the theatrical use of light called
rembrandt lighting
how is the divinity of christ shown
-bright directional light illuminates him in white (white= divinity and purity)
-invisable light source implies its from a higher being
how is christ not idealised and how was this influenced
-looks like a real man agonised by real suffering
The humanity of the representation of Christ is underpinned by Calvinist doctrine which emphases Christ’s humanity. Calvinists affirm the historic Christian belief that Christ is eternally one person with a divine and a human nature. They have especially emphasised that Christ truly became human so that people could be saved.
what is calvanist doctrine/ what do calvanists believe
calvanists affirm the historic belief that christ is eternally 1 person with both a divine and human nature (emphasises that christ chose to become human to save humanity)
how is this influenced by baroque technique
strong use of chiaroscuro mixed with harsh directional lighting to dramatise the scene and importance of the subject
recalls a baroque technique he admired in the work of 16th C venetian artists, particularly Tintoretto. (Kenneth Clark, Rembrandt and the Italian Renaissance, 1966).
use of colour
marjority of composition painted in earthly tones. (DARK OCHRES, BROWNS ,GREYS) adds sense of historical subject matter and serious which elevates the status
-in keeping with religious painting in 17th C sober tone
-ONLY FIGURES THAT OPPOSE THE NATURAL PALLETE: RADIANT LIGHT,BLUES OF REMBRANDTS CLOTHES- emphasis rembrand and christ, the figure of Christ, pure and radiant in dazzling
effect of most important part of the narrative being in the foreground
key figures brought close to picture plane for dramatic effect
adheres to ‘history’ painting
dramatic use of light that isnt chiaroscuro
tenebrism
medium/material
oil on canvas
allows for variety of texture and realism
would have spent a long time making this paint
impact of scale
elevates status of jesus and importance of subject
processes and techniques
variety of textures created by oil paint (like gleaming metal of soldiers armour)
made drawings and prepatory sketches in chalk
traditional academic brushwork of old masters (small invisible brushstrokes and smooth finish)
how did rembrandt make the white pigment of christs loin cloth
had to drip strips of lead in buckets of hot vinegar to yeild the lead-white powder
how did rembrandt make dark tones in this painting
burnt pitch/ tar to make oily soot
how did rembrandt make blue pigment
pulverised potassium glass and added cobalt
brushwork
traditional academic brushwork of old masters (small invisible brushstrokes and smooth finish), no thick impasto lile his later works
was first commission and patron was conservative to had to remain sober
was first commission so couldnt experiment with technique
how is Rembrandts collection of exotic art shown
.Although we do not know when he began collecting exotic items, the repetition of features such as the turban we see in this painting suggest that the collecting began in Rembrandt’s Leiden years
what series is this a part of and where was it displayed
rembrandts passion series
105 paintings of similar size and format over 6 year time frame (1633-39)
displayed in most important room of stadholders palace. for fredrick hendrick to show diversity in religion (important paintings didnt offend strict calvanist reform church)
patron
-Fredrick Henrick
-Prince of orange and stadholder of united provinces
-commissioned for his gallery in Hague
Although unarguably the most important man in The Hague, Frederick Hendrick was not Count of Holland, the traditional meaning of the title: Stadholder. Rather his role as Stadholder was to oversee the administration of justice in all its forms, a primarily military role as the newly formed Republic was constantly engaged in conflicts with the Catholic south
conservative taste in art
for political reasons was a practicing member of the official state church, the calvanist dutch reformed church due to conflicts with the catholic south
displayed in stadholders palace to show diversity of religion
ordered 2 more works on the cavity
where was the passion series displayed
*The Passion series was displayed in one of the busiest formal rooms in the Stadtholder’s palace, the Binnenhof.
As such it would have been viewed not only by Frederick Hendrick and his family in quiet moments, but by political officials as well as foreign visitors and ambassadors with a diverse range of religious beliefs.
As such it was important that these paintings not offend the strict Calvinist reformed church sensibilities of the Stadholder’s courtiers but were also admissible to people with slightly diverging religions beliefs as well as foreign viewers.
who was it important for this work to not offend
As such it was important that these paintings not offend the strict Calvinist reformed church sensibilities of the Stadholder’s courtiers but were also admissible to people with slightly diverging religions beliefs as well as foreign viewers.
who secured this commission for Rembrandt
*The commission for this painting was likely to have been secured by Rembrandt’s supporter, the diplomat Constantijn Huygens who was secretary to Frederick Hendrick.
how do we see similarities to reubans elevation of the cross
The cycle were based loosely on a series of much larger paintings of the Passion by the Flemish master of the older generation, Peter Paul Rubens, completed at the beginning of the 17th century. Although we cannot be certain a copy of Rubens Raising of the Cross was available to Rembrandt, certainly we see very clearly the similarities between his Descent from the Cross in the same cycle and that of Rubens.
how does the passion series diverge from the traditional passion cycle
*Although each of the paintings depicts a traditional scene from the Passion of Christ, they do not form anything like a complete Passion Cycle. Seven years later, Hendrick ordered a further two works of the same size and format of subjects from the Nativity of Christ. Six of the seven paintings now hang in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich.
what position was this peice in the passion series cycle
Rembrandt painted the Elevation of the Cross second in the cycle and delivered this and the Descent before the rest of the series was commissioned. The fact that the Stadholder commissioned a further 3 pictures therefore implies that he was pleased with them
Calvinism
movement in orthodox protestantism developed by John Calvin, a french theologian
arrived in netherland in 1540s converting evryone into Flanders
the spanish gov under philip ii started persucution campaigns and calvanists rebelled
hollan conquered by calvinists in 1572 and all churches in calvanist territories became calvanist
rembrant was protestant who shows his religious views and also patrons
whats the tension between calvanists and leuthrians
calvanists believe christ is one being and became a human to svae humanity
leutharians believe he can be in multiple places at the same time
Simon McNamara critical quote
The paintings correspond with remarkable fidelity to the Reformers’ rallying cry
who sees this work as rembrandts attempt to position hmself as a ‘court painter’
H. Perry Chapman in her book Rembrandt’s self portraits: A study in Seventeenth Century Identity (Princeton, 1990). She sees Rembrandt’s self portraits as a strategy to position himself as an artist; that this was part of him re-casting himself as a ‘Court Painter’ in the style of Rubens, van Dyck or Titian, rather than the more mundane role as an artist in a free-market Dutch economy.
