Rembrandt - Art History's First Feminist
Ann Mette Heindorff
for yourself by visiting my recently updated page about
The Netherlands' greatest baroque painter
http://arthistory1.school.dk/frame_Rembrandt02-Women.htm
focusing on an art exhibition in London last December.
Further, all Dutch stamp issues covering Rembrandt are on
display at
http://arthistory1.school.dk/frame_Rembrandt01-General.htm
Mette
--
Ann Mette Heindorff
DFF # 101155. ATA # 53062-6. CSSG # 477
http://stamptravel.dht.dk
Victor Manta
> Was Rembrandt art history's first feminist ? Please judge
> for yourself by visiting my recently updated page about
> The Netherlands' greatest baroque painter
>
> http://arthistory1.school.dk/frame_Rembrandt02-Women.htm
>
> focusing on an art exhibition in London last December.
>
>
> Ann Mette Heindorff
Was Rembrandt a feminist? The short answer is: surely not!
The long answer follows, for those interested in feminism, in Rembrandt's
art and in his models.
Feminism. 1. the theory of the political, economic and social equality of
sexes. 2 : organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests --
feminist n or adj. (Merriam-Webster).
-----
Rembrandt used many female models, young and old, during his career and we
will probably never know who most of them really were. The three that are
best known are his ‘wives.' The large blonde figure predominating in many
works, is believed to be based on his wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh.
After Saskia's death from tuberculosis in 1642, the family's nursemaid
Geertje Dircks, appears (it is believed) as the model in some overtly erotic
prints. Greetje ended up suing Rembrandt for a breach of promise to marry
her. She was later sent to a prison for women thought to be morally and
mentally unstable and died in 1656, a year after her release.
Hendrickje Stoffels, a servant in the Rembrandt household, was twenty years
younger than her employer and (in 17th century Holland) his social inferior.
When she became pregnant by Rembrandt she was summoned in front of the
Calvinist church council and forced to repent. Rembrandt did not marry her,
though she did become known as his wife. During this time a brown-eyed,
dark-haired woman, presumed to be modeled on Hendrickje, began to figure in
Rembrandt´s work.
(After: http://www.rnw.nl/culture/html/rembrandt010730.html)
-----
OK, after reading all this, can we still consider Rembrandt a feminist? By
no means, would I say.
If, by chance, the term "feminist" was simply thought as related to a
painter that depicted women, then Rembrandt isn't for sure the first one.
For example both beautiful women shown on the second row, first column of
the page dedicated to Rock Art (1966, Algeria, Tassili art):
http://www.values.ch/Art-Gallery/Rock-Paintings/rock-paintings3.htm
were painted much, much earlier. There are also so many others, like those
beautiful female musicians from Egypt or the so-called "La petite
parisienne" of Knossos (both about 1500 BC :).
Victor Manta
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Art on Stamps: http://values.ch
Romania Shown by Its Stamps: http://marci-postale.com
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Bruce Klaiss a.k.a. ibn Ecurb
news:3DA97EF1...@mindspring.com:
> Victor,
> What you refer to is maybe not Rembrandt's attitude towards women but
> maybe
> the predominant attitude of the times.
Quite possibly; and to them the attitude wasn't baroque. So, obviously,
they decided not to fix it.
(This is in revenge for all those other puns a few months ago from
someone.)
--
Bruce Klaiss, MSLS
a.k.a. Ssialk Nela ibn E-curb,
SNA Minister of Peculiar Propaganda
and Virtual Reality Taxi Stands
Bob Ingraham
> From: "Bruce Klaiss a.k.a. ibn Ecurb" <br...@harperbruce.com>
> Organization: SNA Ministry of Peculiar Propaganda
> Newsgroups: rec.collecting.stamps.discuss
> Date: 14 Oct 2002 08:00:06 -0500
> Subject: Re: Rembrandt - Art History's First Feminist
>
> Thus quoth Tom Loepp <lo...@mindspring.com> in
> news:3DA97EF1...@mindspring.com:
>
>> Victor,
>> What you refer to is maybe not Rembrandt's attitude towards women but
>> maybe
>> the predominant attitude of the times.
>
> Quite possibly; and to them the attitude wasn't baroque. So, obviously,
> they decided not to fix it.
>
> (This is in revenge for all those other puns a few months ago from
> someone.)
And here I thought it was going to be a *good* day! :^)
Bob
Tracy Barber
wrote:
Ahhh... but it is a good day! :) For other reasons!
Tracy Barber