Quentin Buvelot

View Larger
Image

Rembrandt by Himself

Quentin Buvelot; Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn; Christopher White

Synopsis:
Few other artists in the history of Western art have painted themselves with the obsessive frequency of Rembrandt. The images that survive -- some 45 self-portraits in oil, scores of drawings, and over 30 etchings -- provide us with what amounts to a pictorial autobiography, a record of Rembrandt's intense scrutiny of his own features from his earliest years in Leiden to his death in Amsterdam in 1669. This book, written by authorities in the field, maps the many developments in Rembrandt's self-portraiture during his life and attempts to explain exactly why this genre played such a dominant role in his work. The authors give new emphasis to the tradition of self-portrayal in Netherlandish art and the impact of his innovative style on his contemporaries (whether artists or collectors) and on his followers. Significant reinterpretations of Rembrandt's approach also arise from a close investigation of lesser-known aspects of his work, such as his manipulation of his features or his depiction of himself in a variety of highly authentic historical costumes. Published to celebrate the gathering of an unprecedented number of these outstanding self-portraits at the National Gallery in London and the Mauritshuis in The Hague in 1999.

More About this Book | View All Listings | View Collectible Listings

Other editions: Hardcover - 2009, 2008, Hardcover - 2008, Hardcover - 2008, Hardcover - 2006, Hardcover - 2006, Hardcover - 2005, 2004, Softcover - 2003, Hardcover - 2003