A piece of forgotten Rembrandt research exercises a perverse fascination on Schwartz. He passes it on to you, along with an announcement of a Spinoza symposium on 16 May in Amsterdam.
I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I must be one of the worst cases. Researchers who spend an irresponsible amount of time building spreadsheets, databases, tables and graphs to get a grip on data that may or may not be relevant to the bigger issues that should be our chief concern. The other day I ran across a document of this kind, which Word tells me dates from 5 May 2005. I had forgotten about it and was amazed that I had actually gone so far in analyzing the material it contains. And then it all came back to me. In my book of 2006 on Rembrandt, I wrote this, under the header “Taking our terms from Rembrandt”:
Rembrandt actually left quite a precious legacy of writings on his own art. He did so however in such modest and informal fashion that art historians have largely ignored them. I am referring to the words, phrases and occasionally whole sentences jotted on his drawings and prints. There are more than forty such notes, most of which can be deciphered and interpreted. In a way, they offer something better than the kind of self-conscious formulation that art historians miss and that all too often are restatements of accepted wisdom. The jottings catch Rembrandt in unguarded moments, writing private memos to himself or to his pupils. […] In this book, Rembrandt’s jottings are used as a kind of index to the artist’s values. They are marshalled as evidence for his state of mind, his intellectual concerns and his artistic impulses.
The table I found refers to fifty-two drawings with jottings. I added two etchings, garnered from the 1969 catalogue by Christopher White and Karel G. Boon, but that is surely incomplete. I cannot eliminate the possibility that some day I will plow through the seven volumes of Erik Hinterding and Jaco Rutgers’ New Hollstein catalogue of the etchings and make a table of the man’s notes on individual impressions. I could say that I would do that “when I have nothing else to do,” but I know better. I tend to do these things exactly when there is something more urgent to do. It is a form of evasion, the meaning of which I would rather not know.
In the book, I did respect the stated aim in that passage, but in a limited way. I quoted the jottings that were more or less unequivocal statements concerning one thing or another. One of my favorites is on a drawing in Frankfurt of two butchers at work:
Rembrandt, Two butchers at work, one cleaving the carcass of a pig, the other carrying a pig, ca. 1635
Pen in brown ink, 14.9 x 19.9 cm
Frankfurt, Städel Museum (3626)
The drawing is inscribed by Rembrandt: t vel daer aen ende voorts de rest bysleepende (the hide covering it and further pulling the rest along). Not entirely comprehensible to me, but enough for Rembrandt to remind him of what the butchers told him they were doing.
This was the low-hanging fruit of Rembrandt jottings, which had already been plucked by my colleague Christian Tümpel. What I was after were subtler indicators. Led on by something I thought I had read about the avant-garde in literary studies, I told myself that important revelations concerning Rembrandt’s character could be derived from his choice of words. Which parts of speech does he prefer? Are his adjectives notably aggressive? Does he scribble more about one emotion than another? Do any predispositions become evident in what he notes about persons or motifs? That I say nothing about this in the book is understandable when I look at the perplexing tables. At a given moment I knocked off; the lower table is incomplete, and I do not know what its second column, with a ranking from 1 to 4, was for. The Rembrandt-game-changing patterns I was hoping to find did not manifest themselves to me. What is perhaps most interesting is what is not there. Of the more than three hundred words and phrases on names, dates, persons, subjects, technical materials and proceedings, none are about measurements or color notes. None of the Hebrew in Rembrandt paintings is copied out, there is nothing on the senses, current events, political or church matters. Does this tell us anything?
Below I present the tables to you, as mined from my hard drive and spaced more widely by WordPress than I would like, and without the small caps that made everything more legible. Perhaps you see more in them than I found.
© Gary Schwartz 2024. Published on the Schwartzlist on 1 May 2024. The donation button is at the very bottom of this installment.
On the 16th of May, at the Amsterdam Public Library (OBA, near the Central Station), at 7:30 in the evening, I will be moderating what could be a really interesting discussion.
Why the announcements on the website of the sponsoring organization, the Amsterdam Spinoza Circle, the Public Library itself (with a speaker who has been replaced), and the Spinoza House, are in Dutch while the session will be held in English I do not know. “Why Spinoza still matters: Freedom of thought in today’s world.” The announcement also leaves out one of the participants – Ian Buruma, the Dutch-British-American writer whose life of Spinoza came out last year. (The web page calls it a “new new biography.”) The other members of the panel are Steven Nadler, professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the author of more than one book on Spinoza, including a biography; Irene Zwiep, professor of Hebrew, Aramaic and Syriac languages and cultures at the University of Amsterdam; and Ronit Palache, a freelance journalist who in 2015 held a solemn conclave with the (unsuccessful) aim of having the ban on Spinoza rescinded by the Sephardi rabbinate of Amsterdam.
Tickets can be ordered here: direct met deze ticket-link
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Here, now, is the document I abandoned on 5 May 2005.
Analytical table of jottings
adjectives
adverbs |
age “d’ouden” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon)
age “jonck” (Ben. 449, Paul and Barnabas) age (of object) “oudt” (Ben. 300, Sheet of studies) emotion “beleevende” (Ben. 152, Studies of the Magdalene and the Virgin in Sorrow) emotion “jachtich” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) negative quality “den armen” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) negative quality “ongenaeden” (Ben. 145, Four men) neutral quality “lange” (Ben. A096a, Old man) neutral quality “ovael” (Ben. A096a, Old man) neutral quality “schrifterlick” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) neutral quality “suver” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) neutral quality “tesaemen” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) positive quality “dijvoot” (Ben. 152, Studies of the Magdalene and the Virgin in Sorrow) positive quality “elegent” (Ben. A096a, Old man) positive quality “groot” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) positive quality “manhaftyge” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) positive quality “recht veerdigh” (Ben. 139, Several figures) positive quality “vroom” (Ben. 257, Bearded man) |
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dates | 1630 (Ben. 7, Old man with book)
1630 (Ben. 37, Seated old man) 1631 (Ben. 57ANB, Self portrait) 1631 (Ben. 20, Bearded old man) 1631 (Ben. 40, Old man) 1633 (Ben. 82, Lot drunk) 1633, “den 8 Junijus 1633” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) 1634 (Ben. 89, Jesus and disciples) 1634 (Ben. 433, Portrait of man) 1635 (Ben. 445, Last Supper after Leonardo) 1637 (Ben. 457, An elephant) 1639 (Ben. 441, Titia van Uylenburgh) 1639 (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) 1640 (Ben. 785, St. Albans) 1640 (Ben. 786 Windsor Castle) 1640 (Ben. 758, Anslo) 1641 (Ben. 759, Anslo) 1641 (Ben. 500a, Two men in discussion) 1644 (Ben. 815, Cottage) [16]44 (Ben. 555, Jacob’s dream)1644 (Ben. A035a, Satire on art criticism) 1644 (Ben. 556, The good Samaritan) 1644 (Ben 815, Cottage) 1646 (Ben. 765, Young woman) 1652 “den 9 Julij 1652” (Ben. 1278, Ruins of the old town hall) 1652 (Ben. 913, Homer) 1652 (Ben 914, Anna Wijmer) 1661 (Ben. 1057, Simeon) |
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names | Barocci, Federico “baroeseus” (Ben. A096a, Old man)
Barocci, Federico “Barotius” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Belisarius “bellisaro” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) Beyeren, Leendert Cornelisz. van “Leenderts floorae” “verhandelt” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) Bol, Ferdinand “fardijnandus” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) Carracci “Coerats” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Castiglione, Balthasar “De Conten batasar de Kastijlijone” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) Christ “Chrisstum” (Ben. 762, Sylvius) Christ “Christus” (?; Ben. A096a, Old man) Christ “Christus” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) Doria, Andrea “ANDREAS D. AVREA Hartog van S[tad] genuwa” (Ben. 1186, Andrea Doria) Elsheimer, Adam “elshamer” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Emperor Galba “ALBA” (Ben. 770, Roman emperor) Joseph and Mary “(j)osef en marija” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Maria “(m)aria” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Maria “(ma)ria” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Maria “Maria” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Mary Magdalene (m)aria Madaleen (Ben. A096a, Old man) Michelangelo “migel Angylo” (Ben. A096a, Old man)” Muziano, Girolamo “mutsi” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Philemon “filemon” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) Raphael “raefael” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) Rembrandt “Rembrand” (Ben. 0057ANB, Self-portrait) Rembrandt “Rembrandt” (B. 90, The good Samaritan) Rembrandt “Rembrandt” (Ben. 913, Jan Six) Reni, Guido “guido” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Reni, Guido “gwydo” (Ben. A096a, Old man) Rijn, Harman Gerritsz. “HARMAN. GERRITS. Vanden Rhijn” (Ben. 56, Rembrandt’s father) Six, Jan “Joanus Sicx” (Ben. 913, Jan Six) Thijsz., Christoffel “Tijscen” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) Uffelen, Lucas van “Luke van Nuffelen” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) Uylenburgh, Titia van “Tijtsya van Ulenburch” (Ben. 441, Titia van Uylenburch) |
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nouns (with adjectives and prepositions) and works of art | “cum priv.l.” (B. 90, The good Samaritan)
motif “deesen hoge bruijt” (Ben. 147, Departure of Rebecca) abstraction “gemoet” (Ben. 257, Bearded man) motif “met veel gebueren” (Ben. 147, Departure of Rebecca) generality “stuck” (Ben. A096a, Old man) location “vand waech” (Ben. 1278, Ruins of the old town hall) abstraction “d kunst” (Ben. A35a, Allegory on art criticism) abstraction “den tijt” (Ben. A35a, Allegory on art criticism) abstraction “goet” (Ben. 257, Bearded man) abstraction “gunst” (Ben. A35a, Allegory on art criticism) action “schrifterlick antw[oord] (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) action “zijn antwoordt” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) art on the market “…lderij” (Ben. A20, Three studies of a Mongol) art on the market “ander werck” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) art on the market “den Abraham” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) art on the market “een florae” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) art on the market “een van beijden d schilderien” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) art on the market “floora” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) art on the market “geen van beijden” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) art on the market “het geheel cargesoen” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) art on the market “Leenderts floorae” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) art on the market “vaendrager” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) art on the market “werck” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) art on the market “De Conten batasar de Kastijlijone… 3500 gulden” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) emotion “door de jaloesy” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) emotion “troost” (Ben. 152, Studies of the Magdalene and the Virgin in Sorrow) emotion “beleevende siel” (Ben. 152, Studies of the Magdalene and the Virgin in Sorrow) financial negotiations “goede mannen” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) motif: the body “d Haend” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) motif “de rest” (Ben. 400, Two butchers) motif “d’enghel” (Ben. A096a, Old man) motif: the body “een fijn harte” (Ben. 152, Studies of the Magdalene and the Virgin in Sorrow) motif: the body “ind[e]mon[d]” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) motif “luit” (Ben. A096a, Old man) motif “met een oudt jack” (Ben. 300, Sheet of studies) motif “t mes” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) motif “t vel” (Ben. 400, Two butchers) person “an de Heeren” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) person “ander munneken” (Ben. A096a, Old man) person “een jonck kint” (Ben. 449, Paul and Barnabas) person “een kindekin” (Ben. 300, Sheet of studies) person “een vrouw” (Ben. 449, Paul and Barnabas) person “huysvrou” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) person “munick” (Ben. A096a, Old man) person “munneken” ((Ben. A096a, Old man) person “op syn hoofdken” (Ben. 300, Sheet of studies) person “voor ‘t chirurg” (B. 104, Woman at the bath) positive quality “eer” (Ben. 257, Bearded man) positive quality “in groot aensien” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) positive quality “manhaftyge daden” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) subject of art work: allegory “dees epimoet? van d kunst” (Ben. A035a, Allegory on art criticism) subject of art work: allegory “een florae” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: allegory “floora” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: allegory “Leenderts floorae” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: architecture “elegent paleijs” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: architecture “stats huis van Amsteldam” (Ben. 1278, Ruins of the old town hall) subject of art work: doll “na een ostindies poppetje geschets” (Ben. 1187subA, East Indian figure) subject of art work: doll “na Oostind. Poppetje” (Ben. 1187subB, East Indian figure) subject of art work: genre “[e]remijt (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: genre “[m]unninck” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: genre “een kindekin met een oudt jack op syn hoofdken” (Ben. 300, Sheet of studies) subject of art work: genre “in ongenaeden synden en werden niet geschooren” (Ben. 145, Four men) subject of art work: genre “munick” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: genre “munneken” ((Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: genre “‘t vel daer aen ende voorts de rest bysleepende” (Ben. 400, Two butchers) subject of art work: genre “vaendrager” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: genre (historical) “erbarmt u over den armen bellisaro” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) subject of art work: genre (historical) Homer reciting “Joanus Sicx” (Ben. 913, Jan Six) subject of art work: history “(j)osef en marija” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: history “[g]roetenes” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: history “44 2 doopt” (Ben. 555, Jacob’s dream) subject of art work: history “den Abraham” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: history “den goutts” (Ben. 1034, Coriolanus) subject of art work: history “dit behoorde vervoucht te weesen met veel gebueren” (Ben. 147, Departure of Rebecca) subject of art work: history “d’ouden filemon onvan[g]t” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) subject of art work: history “een vrouw wijst op een jonck kint” (Ben. 449, Paul and Barnabas, naar Lastman) subject of art work: history “ordel” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: history “soo jachtich om Christus .. te verschalken” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) subject of art work: history “staen sal vallen” (Ben. 353, Christ and the woman in adultery) subject of art work: portrait “…ius ao 1646” (Ben. 765, Young woman) subject of art work: portrait “den een aeltyden” (Ben. 762, Sylvius) subject of art work: portrait “een vroom gemoet acht eer voor goet” (Ben. 257, Bearded man) subject of art work: portrait “HARMAN. GERRITS. Vanden Rhijn” (Ben. 56, Rembrandt’s father) subject of art work: portrait “dit is naer mijn huysvrou geconterfeyt” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) subject of art work: portrait “Tijtsya van Ulenburch” (Ben. 441, Titia van Uylenburch) subject of art work: portrait (historical) “ALBA” (Ben. 770, Roman emperor Galba) subject of art work: portrait (historical) “ANDREAS D. AVREA Hartog van S[tad] genuwa” (Ben. 1186, Andrea Doria) subject of art work: portrait (old) “De Conten batasar de Kastijlijone” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) subject of art work: portrait (self) “AET. 24 Rembrand 1631” (Ben. 0057ANB, Self portrait) subject of art work: sacred personality “(m)aria” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: sacred personality “(ma)ria” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: sacred personality “Maria” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: sacred personality (m)aria Madaleen (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: sacred personality “een dijvoot thresoor” (Ben. 152, Studies of the Magdalene and the Virgin in Sorrow) technical material “de helft tarpentyn” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) technical material “flesken” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) technical material “in een glaesen flesken” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) technical material “witte tarpentyn olie” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) technical material (Ben. 1351, River with trees) technical procedure “6. print” (B. 74, Hundred-guilder print) technical procedure “7 op de plaat” (B. 104, St. Jerome) technical procedure “op de plaat” (B. 74, Hundred-guilder print) |
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pronouns | “harer” (Ben. 152, Studies of the Magdalene and the Virgin in Sorrow)
“hij” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) “mijn” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) “sijn” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) “sijn” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) “sy” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) “syn” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) “syn” (Ben. 300, Sheet of studies) “syn” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) “weij” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) “zijn” (Ben. 1047, Christ and the woman in adultery)
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qualifiers
conjunctions (partial) |
“ende voorts” (Ben. 400, Two butchers)
“nochtans” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) |
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sums | “3500 gulden” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione)
“f59456” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) “2-0-0” (Ben. A20, Three studies of a Mongol) “3-8-0” (Ben. A20, Three studies of a Mongol) “5-0-0” (Ben. A20, Three studies of a Mongol) “15 [gulden]” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) “6 [gulden]” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) “5 [gulden]” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) |
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verbs | action “bysleepende’ (Ben. 400, Two butchers)
action “gaenden” (Ben. 762, Sylvius) action “omgeswicht” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) action “ontvangt” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) action “staen” (Ben. 533, Christ and woman in adultery) action “vallen” (Ben. 533, Christ and woman in adultery) action “vertrecken” (Ben. 147, Departure of Rebecca) action “wijst” (Ben. 449, Paul and Barnabas) emotion “begerende” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) emotion “bewaert wert” (Ben. 152, Studies of the Magdalene and the Virgin in Sorrow) emotion “erbarmt u” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) emotion “konden … niet afwachten” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) emotion “verblindt” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) emotion “verkracht” (Ben. A096a, Old man) emotion “verschalken” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) financial negotiations “[vr]agen” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) financial negotiations “gelieft” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) financial negotiations “opgemaeckt” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) financial negotiations “vragen” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) financial negotiations “vragen” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) financial negotiations “willen laten verblijvend” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) iconographical correctness “dit behoorde vervoucht te weesen ” (Ben. 147, Departure of Rebecca) moral choice “acht” (Ben. 257, Bearded man) passive behavior “sien” (Ben. 147, Departure of Rebecca) social judgment “en werden niet geschooren” (Ben. 145, Four men) social judgment “in ongenaeden synden” (Ben. 145, Four men) technical procedure “etsen” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) technical procedure “in een … flesken gedaen” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) technical procedure “laeten kooken” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) technical procedure “toe(voegen)” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) transaction “heeft gegolden” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) transaction “verhandelt” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) transaction “verhandelt” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) transaction “verhandelt” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) transaction “verhandelt” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) transaction “verkoft” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) |
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words of time | “voor af” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk)
“dan” (Ben. 1169, Child being taught to walk) “doent afgebrandt was den 9 Julij 1652” (Ben. 1278, Ruins of the old town hall) “een ha[lf] uur” (Ben. 1351, River with trees) “do sy 21 jaer oud was” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) “den derden dach als wij getroudt waeren” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) |
subject of art work: allegory “dees epimoet? van d kunst (Ben. A035a, Allegory on art criticism)
subject of art work: allegory “een florae” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: allegory “floora” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: allegory “Leenderts floorae” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: architecture “elegent paleijs” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: architecture “stats huis van Amsteldam” (Ben. 1278, Ruins of the old town hall) subject of art work: genre “[e]remijt (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: genre “[m]unninck” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: genre “een kindekin met een oudt jack op syn hoofdken” (Ben. 300, Sheet of studies) subject of art work: genre “een vrouw” (Ben. 449, Paul and Barnabas) subject of art work: genre “in ongenaeden synden en werden niet geschooren” (Ben. 145, Four men) subject of art work: genre “munick” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: genre “munneken” ((Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: genre “‘t vel daer aen ende voorts de rest bysleepende” (Ben. 400, Two butchers) subject of art work: genre “vaendrager” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: genre (historical) “erbarmt u over den armen bellisaro” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) subject of art work: genre (historical) Homer reciting “Joanus Sicx” (Ben. 913, Jan Six) subject of art work: history “(j)osef en marija” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: history “[g]roetenes” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: history “44 2 doopt” (Ben. 555, Jacob’s dream) subject of art work: history “den Abraham” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) subject of art work: history “den goutts” (Ben. 1034, Coriolanus) subject of art work: history “dit behoorde vervoucht te weesen met veel gebueren” (Ben. 147, Departure of Rebecca) subject of art work: history “d’ouden filemon onvan[g]t” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) subject of art work: history “een vrouw wijst op een jonck kint” (Ben. 449, Paul and Barnabas) subject of art work: history “ordel” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: history “soo jachtich om Christus .. te verschalken” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) subject of art work: history “staen sal vallen” (Ben. 353, Christ and the woman in adultery) subject of art work: portrait “…ius ao 1646” (Ben. 765, Young woman) subject of art work: portrait “den een aeltyden” (Ben. 762, Sylvius) subject of art work: portrait “een vroom gemoet acht eer voor goet” (Ben. 257, Bearded man) subject of art work: portrait “HARMAN. GERRITS. Vanden Rhijn” (Ben. 56, Rembrandt’s father) subject of art work: portrait “huysvrou” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) subject of art work: portrait “Tijtsya van Ulenburch” (Ben. 441, Titia van Uylenburch) subject of art work: portrait (historical) “ALBA” (Ben. 770, Roman emperor) subject of art work: portrait (historical) “ANDREAS D. AVREA Hartog van S[tad] genuwa” (Ben. 1186, Andrea Doria) subject of art work: portrait (old) “De Conten batasar de Kastijlijone subject of art work: portrait (self) “AET. 24 Rembrand 1631” (Ben. 0057ANB, Self portrait) subject of art work: sacred personality “(m)aria” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: sacred personality “(ma)ria” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: sacred personality “Maria” (Ben. A096a, Old man) subject of art work: sacred personality (m)aria Madaleen (Ben. A096a, Old man)
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collecting | 3 | “ALBA” (Ben. 770, Roman emperor)
List of Italian prints (Ben. A096a, Old man) |
craft | 3 | “de 6. print op de plaat” (B. 74, Hundred-guilder print)
“7 op de plaat” (B. 104, St. Jerome) Recipe for etching ground (Ben. 1351, River with trees) |
date | 2 | 1630 (Ben. 7, Old man with book)
1630 (Ben. 37, Seated old man) 1631 (Ben. 57ANB, Self portrait) 1631 (Ben. 20, Bearded old man) 1631 (Ben. 40, Old man) 1633 (Ben. 82, Lot drunk) 1633, “den 8 Junijus 1633” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) 1634 (Ben. 89, Jesus and disciples) 1634 (Ben. 433, Portrait of man) 1635 (Ben. 445, Last Supper after Leonardo) 1637 (Ben. 457, An elephant) 1639 (Ben. 441, Titia van Uylenburgh) 1639 (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) 1640 (Ben. 785, St. Albans) 1640 (Ben. 786 Windsor Castle) 1640 (Ben. 758, Anslo) 1641 (Ben. 759, Anslo) 1641 (Ben. 500a, Two men in discussion) 1644 (Ben. 815, Cottage) [16]44 (Ben. 555, Jacob’s dream)1644 (Ben. A035a, Satire on connoisseur) 1644 (Ben. 556, The good Samaritan) 1644 (Ben 815, Cottage) 1646 (Ben. 765, Young woman) 1652 “den 9 Julij 1652” (Ben. 1278, Ruins of the old town hall) 1652 (Ben. 913, Homer) 1652 (Ben 914, Anna Wijmer) 1661 (Ben. 1057, Simeon) |
age | “AET. 24” (changed from 27; Ben. 0057ANB, Self-portrait)
“21 jaer oud” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) “jonck” (Ben. 449, Paul and Barnabas) “d’ouden” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) |
|
dedication | 1 | |
emotions | “jachtich” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) | |
emulation | 1 | “De Conten baltasar de Kastijlione” (Ben. 451, Raphael’s Castiglione) |
family | 3 | “den een aeltyden” (Ben. 762, Sylvius)
“HARMAN. GERRITS. Vanden Rhijn” (Ben. 56, Rembrandt’s father) “dit is naer mijn huisvrow geconterfeyt” (Ben. 427, Saskia in a straw hat) “Tijtsya van Ulenburch” (Ben. 441, Titia van Uylenburch) |
finances | 2 | |
foreign ways | 2 | “in ongenaeden synden en werden niet geschooren” (Ben. 145, Four men)
“dit behoorde vervoucht te weesen met veel gebueren” (Ben. 147, Departure of Rebecca) |
good life | 4 | “een vroom gemoet acht eer voor goet” (Ben. 257, Bearded man) |
humanity | 2 | “een kindekin met een oudt jack” (Ben. 300, Sheet of studies)
“‘t vel daer aen ende voorts de rest bysleepende” (Ben. 400, Two butchers) |
hero | 2 | “soo jachtich om Christus .. te verschalken” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery)
“den armen bellisaro” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) |
arbitration | ” an de Heeren goede mannen…” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) | |
qualifiers | ||
old age | 1 | “d’ouden filemon” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) |
patron | 1 | “aen Joannes Sicx” (Ben. 913, Jan Six) |
self | 1 | |
society | 2 | |
representation | 4 | “een jonck kint” (Ben. 449, Paul and Barnabas, after Lastman)
“ALBA” (Ben. 770, Roman emperor) “d’ouden filemon” (Ben. 960, Jupiter with Philemon) “soo jachtich om Christus .. te verschalken” (Ben. 1047, Christ and woman in adultery) “erbarmt u over den armen bellisaro” (Ben. 1053, Belisarius) “ANDREAS D. AVREA Hartog van S[tad] genuwa” (Ben. 1186, Andrea Doria) “‘t vel daer aen ende voorts de rest bysleepende” (Ben. 400, Two butchers) “in ongenaeden synden en werden niet geschooren” (Ben. 145, Four men) “dit behoorde vervoucht te weesen met veel gebueren” (Ben. 147, Departure of Rebecca) “vaendrager” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) |
sales of art | “voor ‘t chirurg” (B. 104, Woman at the bath)
“…lderij” and amounts (Ben. A20, Three studies of a Mongol) “sijn vaendrager sijn[t] 15…” (Ben. 448, Susanna at the bath, after Lastman) |
|
taste | 1 | |
viewpoint | 3 | “vand waech af te sien” (Ben. 1278, Ruins of the old town hall) |
world | 1 | “stats huis van Amsteldam” (Ben. 1278, Ruins of the old town hall) |
No measurements
No colors
No compositional corrections
No Hebrew
No landscapes
No senses
No political or ecclesiastical references
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“Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.” – Robert Benchley
Right on, Benchley!
Thank you for providing this very useful piece of research, Gary. I was particularly interested in the signature on Ben. 0057ANB (Self-portrait, “1631”), which you read “Rembrand”. For a moment I thought I had overlooked something and that you had discovered a unique signature that would have documented a curious step on the way to his first-name signature. However, checking on a reproduction, I made out a faint “t” at the end that makes the whole fit better into the chronology of his signatures, the “1631” notwithstanding.
Yes, Jean-Marie, I think you’re right. But the form of the signature adds another complication to the convoluted history of the etching of which this sheet is a reworked impression of the fourth state, Bartsch 7. That state is dated 1631, a year before he began signing Rembrandt f. So we have to assume that he did not add the signature here until a year or more after the impression was printed. Got to check with what the New Hollstein has to say about this next time I get near one.