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| Vermeer's Little Street 1630 |
An interesting week or so, beginning with a short trip to Amsterdam
to catch a major Rembrandt and Velasquez exhibition at the Rijksmuseum. I
had thought that I should go during this 350
th anniversary
of Rembrandt’s death, to his native city which has been celebrating this notable event all year. I perhaps missed several other Rembrandt events but I
was
thrilled to attend
Parallel Visions. In fact, though
Rembrandt is the raison d’etre of the exhibition for the
Rijksmuseum this special year, it had previously been at the Prada in
Madrid where Diego Velasquez would have been the main man. The foundational idea of the exhibition is in the pairing of works of art on similar themes by contemporaneous artists; it is an inspired notion both for display and education.
The exhibition marks a special period in art’s cultural calendar, the Golden Age in each country;
both artists were heroes of art in their respective countries at the
same time and they are shown here with other important contemporary
artists, Old Masters all: Vermeer, Hals, Zurbaran, and Murillo and the format is
inspired. The paintings by paired artists on relatively similar
themes permit the spectator to consider the interplay, dialogue,
comparison and contrasts and find illumination on faith, religion,
wealth and power. The hugely differing cultures of each country are
demonstrated; Habsburg Spain and the Dutch Republic with their
distinctive, almost opposing conceptions of Christianity yet their
common artistic and cultural traditions. Interestingly, for most of
the lives of the two artists, their countries were at war. When not
at war, they were part of a group of countries: Germany, Britain, Portugal, entwined
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| Velasquez's Gardens of the Villa Medici 1632 |
in commerce, rivalry, and co-dependant trade, each
looking to outbid the others in any endeavour yet irrevocably
members of the same Continental club.
One unexpected pairing features two landscapes; Velasquez’s
‘Gardens of the Villa Medici’ and Vermeer’s ‘Little Street.’
One is classical; one is domestic. Both shine with beautifully
delineated
human action: Vermeer’s working women busy at their
chores and Velasquez’s laundress throwing sheets over a
balustrade. The background to the activities are skilfully observed:
Vermeer’s cracked masonry and peeling paintwork; Velasquez’s
boarded-up arches and broken brickwork. Two days pictured, one in Rome, one in
Delft, catch for us the light, the shadows, the humble quotidian
activities and the overall stillness of two perfectly executed
scenes.
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| Rembrandt's Self Portrait 1669 |
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| Velasquez's Self Portrait 1640 |
Quite late in the exhibition is the pairing of two self portraits;
Rembrandt’s of his ageing face and Velasquez’s showing a proud
and arrogant man, resplendent in lace ruff throwing shadows across
the jaw, face lit skilfully, adorned with a majestic moustache and eyes haughtily
piercing the gaze of the observer. This is a man defiant, proud, wary and
unyielding. Rembrandt’s splendid turban gives a je ne sais quoi of
bravado to his sagging, mottled skin and the deep facial furrows, again beautifully lit.
There is suffering there, but a resigned, rueful, uncomplaining acceptance of life’s emotional experiences bringing with
it self-knowledge and a spiritual dignity. Of all Rembrandt’s many
self portraits, this is the One I Want! The juxtaposition of the two
portraits is inspired.
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| De Bereigde Zwaan by Jan Asselijn 1650 |
Here is an interesting pairing; the swan, wings outstretched, defending her young, even to the death, alongside the martyrdom of a Saint, arms akimbo in agony, dying to defend his beliefs.
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The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion by
Francisco Zurbaran 1628. |
