Customer Reviews

Rembrandt: The Painter at Work

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Clear, open-minded, intelligent, detailed, and written with expert knowledge and love of the subject. Figures are high quality, very relevant, and informative.

Wetering writes as a scientist with an artist's eye.

Fascinating discussions of Rembrandt's use of underpainting and subsequent background to foreground painting method, the ingredients of his painting medium (no resin!), the effect of yellowing in the protective varnish layer, and other fundamental aspects of Rembrandt's art.

Read for the latest scientific insight's into Rembrandt's working methods and for greater appreciation of Rembrandt's abilities and works.

Rembrandt is perhaps the greatest painter in the history of the western cannon and this is the finest book on his work ever printed. The abundance of detailed enlargements -which really make an art book great and which are all too often lacking- are the next best thing to being in front of the paintings. They show Rembrandt for the enormous genius he was, both synthesizing the techniques that came before him as well as creating methods of application which to this day remain an enigma and elusive mystery. Rembrandt, a great draughtsman and technician, was also an outrageous innovator. The details in this book show sections of paintings that would make any abstracts expressionist's head spin. The scholarship of the text, clearly a lobour of love and lifetime devotion, are as worthy as scholarsip can be of art this magnificent.

This book is probably the best study of an individual artist's techniques I've yet to come across. If you have any interest in Rembrandt, whether it be as a art historian, artist or fan of the artist, this book should be an essential component of your library. The book details the results of extensive studies by the author and colleagues on the various techniques adopted by Rembrandt. The opening paragraphs provide background on the life of Rembrandt, the materials available to him, and the state of the art environment in which he worked.
This is followed by extensive studies of the techniques he used. Analytical methods such as xray, paint & varnish composition, microscopy, review of the canvas and wood supports etc. help the author to determine "Is every "Rembrandt" a Rembrandt?". The techniques used by Rembrandt as he tries to create various effects within the limitations of the paints etc he used, forms the foundation of the book. For any artists wanting to paint in the style of Rembrandt I can't imagine any book providing the degree of detail that is provided here.
The quality of the images are first class, majority in colour. The paper quality is also first rate. My only complaint is that the images are not numbered individually. You have to read the accompanying text to determine which image is which and where they are located on the page. I assume this was the result of printing considerations.
A first class book. And essential for anyone interested in Rembrandt and/or Dutch painting in the 1600's. 100% Recommended.

I was surprised when I received my paperback copy, because I did not expect the quality of the paper used and the bright pictures on each page. Every picture is highly detailed, and each word is legible and easy on the eyes.

The book itself is quite informative. Not so much a biography, as it focuses more on Rembrandt's secrets behind what made his paintings so unique and different. Though he died keeping many of his secret techniques to himself, the author of the book shows his research over the years into what he and his counterparts feel are the best explanations to how Rembrandt may have gone about doing his paintings. A number of Rembrandt's paintings have been able to withstand the test of time over hundreds of years, whereas present-day paintings often show deterioration within years. This book discuses why this is so, along with other fascinating observations. This is a great book for anyone remotely interested in art or history, but even better for artists looking to become better.

There isn't much more I can say, which hasn't already been said to reveal the great merits of this book. However I think the sheer quantity of 5 star ratings speaks volumes. This book is essential for any academic or personal study of Rembrandt, especially so for a painter as I am. On top of all the incredible detailed scientific analysis, the text is written very clearly and is even a pleasure to read. Above all, the detail shots of his paint surface, are breath taking and most instructive for any painter. They utilized different levels of magnification to reveal his work from the entirety of the picture down to the microscopic level. This book has revolutionized my studio practice!

Richard T Scott
Joelle-Scott Gallery

There are very few books on specific artist methods and materials that I would call extraordinary, and fewer still I would consider definitive. This book is both. The photographic illustrations, including some amazing close-ups, are fantastic, and the text, though at times quite technical, is engrossing. This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date reference on Rembrandt's painting materials and techniques you're likely to find for a long time to come. If you only own one book on Rembrandt, it should be this one.

This book has incredible prints and very good information on Rembrandt's painting technique. It is a wonderful book for anyone interested in how Rembrandt painted.

I just want to start by saying that this book should not be bought on the pre-text that it is a coffee table art book full of pretty pictures for the casual observer to just flip through. This is a very well thought out and expertly executed book of artistic scholarship. The information held within is to be appreciated by anyone interested in old master techniques and materials as well as genuine appreciation for the work of one of the greatest artist's whose ever walked this planet. Wetering dispenses of any grandiose, virtually mythological non-sense as to the techniques and materials of Rembrandt. He did not use any secret mediums or had special techniques. Wetering himself studied art, so he is not ignorant to the practices involved in art making. The Rembrandt Project laboriously analyzed the paintings and in this book the discoveries are shed light for all to read. What I personally found refreshing is that Rembrandt is presented to us as a normal man, trained in the traditional, customary techniques of his times. What set him apart is that like all great artists, he had a streak of eccentricity and more importantly, curiosity. This led to him trying out various techniques and materials, but never straying too far from custom.

Wetering's book is a great text for artists who really want to understand this marvelously fascinating man and his approach to creating art

This book is generous with loads of quality pictures of the masters work and an equal amount of text for the reader of history and the technical , a good buy certainly worth the money , I really enjoyed this and I suggest it to any one with even just a passing interest in Rembrandt and an insight into how he produced his work , they actually found some of his dna in his paintings (i bet that makes you curious). This and the other book " Rembrandt's Eyes by Simon Schama" is another beauty possibly a bit better than this one Schama's book spend the first half talking a about Peter Paul Rubens and the dreams Rembrandt had of being his equal , both are great companions to each other I recommend them together.

This book is not easy to evaluate, at a first sight is a very irregular book, amazing in many passages but extremely boring in many others, a whole chapter dedicated to the canvas support !?, with a great mass of technical information about thread density and weave, I think it is too much, a very important Rembrandt's trick like "glazing and sweeping" (that it is supossed he created this technique) is just overviewed when it is perhaps one of the constituents for the most amazing passages in many of his paintings.
My conclusion is that despite of Rembrandt's Project and a lot of scholars studying his masterpieces is very, but very little what we know. How he commited his works is an enigma like in Vermeer's case, so there are a lot of books about them but very little valuable information