File:Rembrandt and his works- comprising a short account of his life; with a critical examination into his principles and practice of design, light, shade, and colour. Illustrated by examples from the (14740971626).jpg

Identifier: rembrandthiswork00burn (find matches)
Title: Rembrandt and his works: comprising a short account of his life; with a critical examination into his principles and practice of design, light, shade, and colour. Illustrated by examples from the etchings of Rembrandt
Year: 1849 (1840s)
Authors: Burnet, John, 1784-1868
Subjects: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1606-1669
Publisher: London, D. Bogue
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Getty Research Institute

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ralizing principles pervade everyvariety of subject. Fuseli, speaking of portait painting as mere likenesses,adds— To portrait painting thus circumstanced, we subjoin, as the lastbranch of uninteresting subjects, that kind of landscape which is entirely 72 REMBRANDT AND HIS WORKS. occupied with the tame delineation of a given spot—an enumeration of hilland dale, clumps of trees, shrubs, water, meadows, cottages, and houses—what is commonly called views. These, if not assisted by nature, dictatedby taste, or chosen for character, may delight the owner of the acres theyenclose, the inhabitants of the spot, perhaps the antiquary or the traveller,but to any other eye, they are little more than topography. The landscapeof Titian, of Mola, of Salvator, of the Poussins, Claude, Rubens, Elsheimer,Rembrandt, and Wilson, spurns all relation with this kind of map-work.To them nature disclosed her bosom in the varied light of rising, meridian,and setting suns—in twilight, night, and dawn.
Text Appearing After Image:
73 DRAWINGS BY REMBRANDT. In looking over the numerous portfolios of drawings in public and privatelibraries, we are struck with the accumulated mass of mediocre talent. Manyof them are often well composed, and even well drawn, but they are com-pletely destitute of what constitutes true merit — they possess no distin-guishing mark whereby we can discern one master from another; they arestruck off with wonderful dexterity, as far as the eye or hand is concerned,but the mind is totally wanting; neither do they possess the peculiarfeatures of natural truth, whose lines are filled Avith variety, sometimessharp, sometimes round—in parts faint and delicate, and in other placesstrong and cutting. On the other hand, when the drawings of greatpainters are examined, the master mind shines forth in every touch, and werecognise the works of Michael Angelo, Raffaelle, Coreggio, and others, ata glance. The drawings of Rembrandt possess this quality in a superlativedegree, and the slightest indi

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