Mister Rembrandt stopped by

Luckily for the band of scribblers, last night at 9 pm Mister Rembrandt stopped by.
9 pm being our time of Class Observation and Curiosity Massage.


Mister Rembrandt visited using his Drawing Exhibit at the The Getty Center The very small size drawings were shown in pairs and had incredible small detail, more so it seemed in the drawing on the left. Turns out, these were Rembrandts on the left, and his pupils on the right.

To help us develop our eye, let's use the curator's four elements of style in Rembrandt's Drawings.

• Sketchy and Suggestive Use of Line
• Selective Description of Details
• Nuanced Expression and Gesture
• Precise Rendering of Light

To illustrate the Sketchy and Suggestive Use of Line, the curator says 'a few dark broad sweeping pen lines over a lighter sketch indicate spiraling drapery.' I look carefully and I see a few faint curved lines lightly but accurately applied by the Master. I see the swirling drapery.

For our second point: 'selective details worked into a narrative'. This sounds like our mantra, PICK YOUR BATTLES. Sure enough, the pupil's drawing attempts to wrap an ink line around EVERYTHING in the field of view. No change in line quality like in the Master's drawing.

The nuanced expression was best illustrated in a drawing of St. John the Baptist gently spilling baptismal water from his palm to the forehead of his convert. The student gesture is clumsy and not subtle. Again, the curator: 'consistent powerful subtle gestures, powerful stance, outstretched finger'' In a crowd scene, in Rembrandt's drawing of the faces I see individual people and not a generic face.

The precise rendering of light was described: 'light shadow on figures, active play, vary direction and thickness of wash' and particularly memorable in a backlight scene. The student didn't have his eye developed yet to see a more complete view. How is YOUR EYE doing?

To bring us back to room 23, and our timeline , and 9 pm last night, Mister Rembrandt's visit helped develop our eye and for that we thank him. And promise to revisit again. (Maybe he will offer us Potato Pancakes or a sale price on an etching.)


The Getty Center show didn't allow photographing from the Rembrandt and his Pupils show but the gallery next door with Dutch Drawing from the same time period did. Happens there were several Rembrandt's drawings here so I can offer them to you.