Rembrandt

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was a painter of great skill and created
quite the collection of works to look back upon. However, most people do not think of
an artist for their work as a whole, but rather for those remarkable
pieces of work that leave an imprint. Among Rembrandt’s more
famed pieces of work are his Night Watch, Belshazzar’s Feast, Bathsheba
at her Bath, and The Jewish Bride.
When Talking about Rembrandt’s art one must talk about his most famous painting: The Night Watch. It is ironic that his most
famous painting was also misnamed, its original title was The Militia
Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq. However, it was not a popular
work during its time and after being rediscovered a century later, it was named The Night Watch. It received this name due to dark tone of the picture, caused by weathering
and poor condition. However, after its restoral it became evident that the image
portrayed in The Night Watch was actually taking place in daylight
Among his famed paintings preserved at the Louvre in Paris is Bathsheba
at her Bath, yet another of his paintings that takes its material from
the Bible. It is a calmer painting than much of his prior work, moving
away from the Baroque technique and making something more contemplative
and tragic. It is considered Rembrandt’s finest example of nude
painting and was also his last.
Another one of Rembrandt’s most famous works was
The Jewish Bride , perhaps not so
much because of the composition, but because of the controversy
regarding who is pictured. Popular theory ranges from Biblical figures
such as Isaac and Rebekah from the Book of Genesis to other couples
from the Old Testament such as Abraham and Sarah. Some also believe
that the couple pictured could be Rembrandt’s son Titus and his wife.
It should also be noted that The Jewish Bride was painted in the
twilight of Rembrandt’s life and may have reflected a spiritual
exploration of love or religion.Given the breadth of work to examine
and the varying talent of the artist, it is never a simple matter to
say what the most famous work of an artist may be, as many works
exemplify different aspects of his life and career. These are but a few
of his most celebrated and well known paintings, revered today as works
of a true master.