Rembrant Van Rijn, The Elevation Of The Cross

Question 1

whats the subject matter (what does it depict, figures, setting etc)

Answer 1

-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

Question 2

artist

Answer 2

Rembrandt Van Rijn

Question 3

date

Answer 3

1633

Question 4

medium

Answer 4

oil on canvas

Question 5

in which gospels is the elevation of the cross described in (and what do they say)

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

effect of christ being illuminated

Answer 6

-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

Question 7

V composition created through light

Answer 7

*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.

Question 8

composition

Answer 8

-jesus’s figure is set up diagonally across from centre to the right hand corner creating focal point

Question 9

who are we drawn to initially and why

Answer 9

strong composition and use of light draws attention to 3 figures initially: jesus, rembrandt, turbanned man due to use of rembrandt lighting

Question 10

whats the theatrical use of light called

Answer 10

rembrandt lighting

Question 11

how is the divinity of christ shown

Answer 11

-bright directional light illuminates him in white (white= divinity and purity)

-invisable light source implies its from a higher being

Question 12

how is christ not idealised and how was this influenced

Answer 12

-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.

Question 13

what is calvanist doctrine/ what do calvanists believe

Answer 13

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)

Question 14

how is this influenced by baroque technique

Answer 14

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).

Question 15

use of colour

Answer 15

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

Question 16

effect of most important part of the narrative being in the foreground

Answer 16

key figures brought close to picture plane for dramatic effect

adheres to ‘history’ painting

Question 17

dramatic use of light that isnt chiaroscuro

Answer 17

tenebrism

Question 18

medium/material

Answer 18

oil on canvas

allows for variety of texture and realism

would have spent a long time making this paint

Question 19

impact of scale

Answer 19

elevates status of jesus and importance of subject

Question 20

processes and techniques

Answer 20

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)

Question 21

how did rembrandt make the white pigment of christs loin cloth

Answer 21

had to drip strips of lead in buckets of hot vinegar to yeild the lead-white powder

Question 22

how did rembrandt make dark tones in this painting

Answer 22

burnt pitch/ tar to make oily soot

Question 23

how did rembrandt make blue pigment

Answer 23

pulverised potassium glass and added cobalt

Question 24

brushwork

Answer 24

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

Question 25

how is Rembrandts collection of exotic art shown

Answer 25

.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

Question 26

what series is this a part of and where was it displayed

Answer 26

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)

Question 27

patron

Answer 27

-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

Question 28

where was the passion series displayed

Answer 28

*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.

Question 29

who was it important for this work to not offend

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

how do we see similarities to reubans elevation of the cross

Answer 30

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

Question 31

how does the passion series diverge from the traditional passion cycle

Answer 31

*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.

Question 32

what position was this peice in the passion series cycle

Answer 32

Rembrandt painted the Elevation of the Cross second in the cycle. The fact that the Stadholder commissioned a further 3 pictures therefore implies that he was pleased with them

Question 33

Calvinism

Answer 33

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

Question 34

whats the tension between calvanists and leuthrians

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Simon McNamara critical quote

Answer 35

The paintings correspond with remarkable fidelity to the Reformers’ rallying cry

Question 36

who sees this work as rembrandts attempt to position hmself as a 'court painter'

Answer 36

H. Perry Chapman She sees Rembrandt 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.