Rembrandt van Rijn

    This image comes from Janson's Story of Painting, by H.W. Janson and Dora Jane Janson,page 98. It is a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn, an artist I admire. What an incredible rendering of human emotion within a divine illustration. "Christ in the storm on the sea of Galilee" is an image that places the viewer within this episode from the Christian religion.I learned that Rembrandt was influenced by Caravaggio, whose light,shade,and dramatic figures are also in this particular piece. It touches the survivalist center in ourselves as we view this form,because of how much the mind fears drowning. Everything is detailed in the play of light and shadow. There is movement and intensity pictured by the boat rising up on waves that could capsize and drown the men. It's feeling is similar to a skydiver or a person who bungee jumps from a cliff, or someone scaling a mountain.

     You can see the thin glazes and impasto techniques,subtly applied. that defines the meaning of this work. Faith in times of struggle and hardship. I find it beautiful and wonderfully executed. I would like to be able to illustrate like Rembrandt. I think it's a high calling to create works like this. It does promote hope in the viewer within this one second of time illustrated. It has been a rewarding semester of Art History ll.