Rembrandt van Rijn's 407th Birthday

Often regarded as one of the greatest artists in European history, Rembrandt van Rijn is a master not only of form and light but also in portraying human emotion.  In his body of work, Rembrandt depicts subjects that range from portraits, to energetic landscapes, to poignant allegories.  Such allegories often draw inspiration from his personal hardships and still speak to viewers hundreds of years after his lifetime.

Most striking, perhaps, is his series of self portraits.  These paintings are an honest recording of Rembrandt's aging visage and technical skill.  One can see his tastes shift from the classical sfumato (or soft) approach in his early twenties to a more expressive and almost impressionistic technique in his fifties.  Ahead of his time, Rembrandt applies his paint with great volume and confidence while many of his contemporaries continue to glaze (or paint in thin layers).

His paintings also reveal a passion for innovation-- some of his works have unusual substances mixed into the pigments.  Glass and wheat flour, though not often found on most artists' palettes, appear on some of Rembrandt's canvases.  He may have mixed them in to alter the texture of the paint; to push the medium forward.

It was surprising to realize that the doodle team had not yet celebrated this artistic legend.  With a four-year degree in illustration, I realized that it was going to be no small task to emulate one of the greatest painters of all time.  Encouraged by my team, however, I charged into the project with fragile confidence.  Below are some photos I snapped throughout the process:

Created with water-soluble oil paint, this is the first quick study I created to warm up.  I quickly realized that this is not how Rembrandt painted.

A second (poorly drawn) study revealed that Rembrandt started with an underpainting, glazed, then applied his lightest values thickly.  I found that I did not have the proper brushes to achieve anything near the texture of his paintings.

Finally armed with boar's hair brushes, I hesitantly approached the underpainting of the final piece on a 4' x 2' canvas.  The drawing is not even close to perfect-- I would pay the price for this carelessness later.

This is about three quarters into the painting.

The final painting in the photo studio.

Creating a master copy of a paragon of art was a humbling experience.  The sureness of his brush and the ripeness of his skill is apparent in every stroke.  Aside from his technical prowess, however, the sincerity in this face is something I will never forget.  

Posted by Jennifer Hom, doodler