About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 1998)
(Rembrandt )n Athens X« Chnvt Pitc hing' by itembrandt .an Rijn. etching & dry point J_COA/ATc/o had his Mona Lisa. Michelangelo had his Sistine Chapel. Monet had his water lilies Picasso had his Guernica And though few debate Rembrandt van Rijn’s place among the titans of Western art, no one work rises up as his singular master piece. Instead. Rembrandt (1606-69). among the most prolific artists of his era. spread his genius liberally. He was a master of painting, drawing and printmaking who produced por traits. self-portraits, genre paintings, land scapes. and works on mythological, histori cal and religious subjects. All of his work is characterized by a magical manipulation of light and shadow, a realistic approach to tra ditional subjects, and an uncanny ability to communicate human emotion. Wfhile focusing mainly on the artist’s mas tery as a printmaker, three interrelated exhibits at the Georgia Museum of Art pro vide a rare opportunity for locals to take in the breadth of Rembrandt’s abilities. The centerpiece of these. “Rembrandt: Treasures from the Rembrandt Amsterdam’’ features some 82 prints in their first tour of the United States As a print- maker Rembrandt brought techniques of etching and ergraving to new levels My the 17th century, engraving allowed multiple images m master works to circulate throughout the world tor popular c ollec tion Rembrandt himself a vollec tor of such images, was among the first to see etch ing as a medium worthy of original works of art Rembrandt reveled in spontaneity, composing images directly on the plates, and delighted in an assortment of techniques that produced such masterful works as The Descent From the Cross by Torchlight (on display, like all of the works discussed here, at the GMOA). The focal point of this flickering image of luminous lights and velvety shadows is the hand of a lamenting female figure grasping in despera tion at the illuminated head of the dead Christ. A group of characters in the upper right quarter of the composition seem to have wandered in off the Amsterdam streets of the artist's day. Rembrandt’s incorporation of everyday types into traditional religious subjects gives his work a heartbreakingly tender emotional realism His Adam and Eve are pudgy, round- faced characters who crouch in whispering conspiracy over the infamous apple as an ominous dragon-serpent hovers in the tree overhead In the background, a tiny, happy elephant frolics in the soon-to-be-lost gar den In Jupiter and Antiope. Rembrandt rein terprets the traditionally idealized mytholog- exfjiiifr Attlje C^eor^iA n^ufeutv^ oa/ {■h'Dutcl] House, ical subject: his aged, lecherous satyr leers “The Age of Rembrandt: Se\ ny\ster subject: his aged, lecherods satyr over the splayed, naked nymph, her open- mouthed head thrown back in a snoring slumber that seems certain to leave a puddle of drool on the sheets. Rembrandt is |>erhaps t>est known for his obsession with his own image He produced more self-|>ortraits than any other artist of his era: today these images olfer us |»erhaps the most insight into the psyche of one of art s great masters. One of the more lamiliar images in the show Self Portrait Leaning on a S/one Sill reveals the artist's show-off side Rembrandt not only depicts himself as a dashing cavalier: he also borrows blatantly from portraits by Titian and Raphael The resultant image flawlessly combines ele ments of both paintings while incorporating Rembrandt's signature energetic lines and delicate touch. Rembrandt nearly always injected his personal life into his art The face of his pret ty young wife Saskia appeared in many works before her death (while still in her 20s.) He painted her as the goddess Flora, as a tavern wench sitting in his lap. and as the magnificent Danae on a sumptuous bed about to be seduced by Zeus (this latter painting was reworked in Rembrandt's later life. Danae took on the features of his mis tress. Hendrickje Stoffels). Among the prints in this show. Saskia's sweet face can be seen in the background of a self-portrait, while the features of a beautiful, nude Diana also bear a close resemblance A companion show to this collection. Age of Rembrandt: Seventeenth- Century European Prints." features works by many of the artist's contemporaries, many drawn from the Georgia Museum’s own col lection This exhibit of prints from Holland. Flanders. Itah and France offers a testament to the |K)pularity of the medium at the time and enables visitors to compare Rembrandt's style to that of his fellow artists Three of these prints, on loan from local collectors S William and Leona Pelletier are by Rembrandt himself One image depicts the circuint isu>n of Christ and is reportedly Rembrandt's first foray into etching Although a traditional subject of the time, one can only wonder at the artist's smart-assed deliberateness in choosing this ironic topic as he took up the print maker's sharp engraving tool for the first time In addition to the large selection of prints, the museum is also exhibiting “By or After Rembrandt: Two Paintings from the Bader Collection." One of these works, A Man Writing By Candlelight, has been dismissed by most scholars as an image created in Rembrandt's style, though it was likely creat ed by a close follower or student The other work. David Presenting the Head of Goliath to Saul. is an undocumented oil sketch. Patricia Phagan. GMOA curator of prints and drawings, believes that it may be a Rembrandt original Perhaps a few big-wig scholars will find their way here and offer an official opinion You might take a crack at the mystery yourself Melissa Link • ‘ Rembrandt: Treasures from the Rembrandt House. Amsterdam" through Jan. 10, 1999. at the GMOA • "The Age of Rembrandt: Seventeenth-Century European Prints through Jan. 24, 1999 at the GMOA • “By or After Rembrandt: Two Paintings from the Bader Collection" through Jan. 10 at the GMOA • "Family Day: Rembrandt!" Saturday. Nov. 14. 10 a.m. at the GMOA Good Dirt. Athens' Ceramic Workcenter Peruvian Hand and Feet-Building Workshop November 21-22 10am-5pm To Register Dial 706.355.3161 NorthEas) Georgia INTERNET Web/FTP space Included Dial Up and Dedicated Accounts for individuals and businesses Inferne) Access. Inc . "j. Phone (706)546-5787 * j E mail: info ' negia.net 33or<sr.»fti»o<>»« V WWW http ,/www negia net $41'tc ISO At**** GA 30605 tour loc.il Internet ind Aorld liirft* IVol) provider r There IS a ■ limited number so get yours today! $10 Each or both for % only $15 u Recently unearthed from the Depths of the Flagpole Basement. "Die Mother of All Flagpole . v „ "The Flagpole Christmas Albums" Christmas Album" PIATUKINC: at m FtaopoM Office or M ClMft t» 1 *»> CD • PO Mi 1027, MMV, GA SOSOS mmmaomumi ■ FLAGPOLE NOVEMBER 11, 1998
