Simon Schama’s Rembrandt

Monica Vazquez

Professor Harmon

HUA 101.1301

October 25, 2013

Simon Schama’s Rembrandt

1. Describe the portrait of the fur merchant. Why is he “the business man’s hero”? 

     The portrait of the fur merchant is portrait of the merchant wearing one of his own fur coats. In the painting his fur coat is captured very detailed, each hair of his coat looks very realistic, almost as if were a real coat and not a painting. The look on the merchant’s eyes is described as sharp and his features are very clearly detailed. His head is tilted slightly and the shadow behind it makes him appear thoughtful. The bags under his eyes make him look tired, it looks so realistic that we can imagine this is exactly what he looked like.

     A reason he can be the business man’s hero is because of the way he is captured. He is captured like a hardworking man who has deprived himself of sleep in order to produce work to be proud of. He’s portrait captures him as a working man, yet he proud to show off his fur coat which he has worked so hard to make. By capturing him this way Rembrandt creates “the businessman’s hero” in his portrait.

2. What is the mood of the portrait of the 83 year old woman?

      In the portrait of the 83 year old woman, Rembrandt projects the mood of melancholy and vulnerability. Her droopy eyelids and her sad eyes soften the face of this 83 year old woman. “She awaits to meet the accountant in the sky,” she looks uncertain of something, almost as if she fears that her time of death is near. 

3. What is Rembrandt communicating in his painting of Sampson& Delilah?

Sampson and Delilah is a portrait of love and betrayal. While most artist paint him nude, he dresses him, making him more vulnerable and sensitive. The knot on his waist is a representation of him and his lover, almost as if it is tying them together. The man in the back is coming for Sampson while Delilah holds him. Together the piece shows both tender love and brutal betrayal