Rembrandt / by Dr. J.G. de Lint; with 64 illustrations.

  • Jan Gerard de Lint
Date:
[1930]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rembrandt / by Dr. J.G. de Lint; with 64 illustrations. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    57/166 (page 41)
    each participant wanted his money’s worth and wished to be im? mortalized on the canvas in a portrait resembling him as clo? sely as possible. Now let us see in what manner Rembrandt solved the pro? blem of a lesson in anatomy. ’’The school of anatomy” in the Mauritshuis at the Hague (Bode — HdG. 55) is one of Rembrandt’s greatest paintings. Its heighth is 1.625 M; its breadth 2.165 M. The persons depicted are all life?size. The painting has a worldwide fame and few strangers will visit the Hague, without paying a visit to the Mauritshuis, to admire one of Rembrandt’s best known works. This picture has always been greatly admired. Zacharias Con? rad von Uffenbach tells in his: ” MevkwiXvdige Reisen durch Nieder^Sachsen, Holland und England” Ulm, Volume III, Page, 546”, about a visit on February 20th 1711: ’’Morgens waren wir op de Schneykamer oder Theatro anatomico.... Der Junge, so uns herum fiihrte, riihmte die Schilderey an der Thiire inson? derheit, allwo der Todte in der Verkiirzung liegt, so dass man ihm unter der Fussohle siehet. Es ist zwar ein gutes Stuck, doch nicht das beste. Eines rechter Hand des Camins ist demselben weit vorzuziehen und war unvergleichlich. Auf diesem Stuck verrichtet der beriihmte Anatomicus Tulpius die Section. Flier? vor soil ein noch lebender Biirgemeister alhier tausend Thaler geboten haben, wie es dann gewiss gar schon”. x) A second testimony of our times follows: ”Ein Gemalde, wel? ches Mit? und Nachwelt, zur hochsten Bewunderung hingerissen hat” (A picture which was exceedingly admired by contempora? ries and posterity) (H. Knackfusz, Kunstler Monographien, Vellhagen und Klasing, Bielefeld und Leipzig, 1900, Page, 22). A third testimony by W. Hastie: ’’Rembrandt’s Lesson in Ana? tomy at the Hague is a picture of world?wide celebrity and of universal interest. Every historian of the art of painting gives it a leading?place in his account of the Dutch School; every critic of arts refers to it as an example or illustration embodying the highest technical principes and rules, (W. Hastie. Contemn porary Review, No. 307, July, 1891, Page 271). We might continue, but the above?mentioned quotations will d1) In the morning we visited the dissecting room or Theatro Anatomico. The boy who showed us round, praised the picture at the door, especially as the corpse is painted foreshortened. It is a good piece of work, though not the best. Another picture to the right of the fire-place is far to be preferred and the other pictures cannot be compared to it. The famous anatomist Tulpius is seen dissecting in this picture. It is said, that a burgomaster still living here, has offered one thousand Thaler for the painting. It is certainly very beautiful.