=Questions to arouse interest.= What are these men doing? How are they
dressed? What makes you think some one has interrupted them? At whom are
they looking? Why do you suppose the one syndic has risen? Why do you
think the man standing behind the others wears no hat? What do you think
his duties were? Which man looks the oldest? the youngest? How has the
artist avoided a stiff arrangement of the figures in this painting?
=Original Picture=: Ryks Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
=Artist=: Rembrandt van Rijn (rĕm´ bränt vän rīn´).
=Birthplace=: Leiden, the Netherlands.
=Dates=: Born, 1606; died, 1669.
=The story of the picture.= This picture represents the syndics of the
Cloth Merchants’ Guild, in a room of their Guild House, busy going over
their accounts. In these days of great corporations and societies of all
kinds, it is easy for us to understand what a Cloth Merchants’ Guild
might be.
History tells us that as far back as the time of the Romans there were
what were called merchants’ corporations or guilds organized for mutual
aid and protection. Among the very first known was a fishermen’s guild,
in which all the members met and decided the rights of the various
members to use the water front, and also, no doubt, planned to take away
the privilege from all who were not members.
In the Netherlands the guilds were many and very influential. Besides
the general officers usually appointed by the king, there were a certain
number of officers whom the members themselves chose, called masters,
deans, wardens, or syndics. It was the duty of these syndics to visit
the workshops and salesrooms of all members of the guild, at all hours,
to see that the rules were enforced. They were also expected to examine
candidates for apprenticeship and mastership. Each guild had its own
costume or uniform. Even to this day a remnant of these old customs
remains, and in England every twenty years a few of the cities
celebrate, by a very important and imposing parade, what is known as
“guild day.” Many cities still have the old Guild Houses where these
meetings were held, and there is not a cathedral or church building of
any importance in the Netherlands or Belgium in which some great event
connected with these guilds is not represented by either a painting or a
sculptured monument. And so it is little wonder that Rembrandt should
paint such a picture as this.
It is as if we opened the door suddenly upon the syndics, who look up to
see what has disturbed them. One man has half risen from his chair. All
five are dressed in the uniform of the guild—black coats, broad white
collars, and large black felt hats. Each figure is a complete portrait
in itself and bears, it is said, a speaking likeness to the syndic
painted.
Some time before this, Rembrandt had had an unfortunate experience. He
had painted a wonderful picture called the “Night Watch.” But in that
great painting he had allowed his feelings as an artist, and his love of
a fine composition, to make him forget man’s vanity. So, although a
great many prominent men had posed for this picture, he had neglected to
paint them all in conspicuous positions. Those upon whom the bright
light fell were delighted with the picture, but the majority, who were
in the shadow, did not like it at all and so refused to pay any money
toward buying it. The truth is they had each expected a good portrait,
and instead he had painted a masterpiece in composition.
So in this later picture he was careful to make a good likeness of each
of the syndics, as well as to make an interesting composition.
These five syndics are gathered around a table covered with a rich
oriental cloth woven on a dark red ground. The plain paneled walls of
the room are brown, filling the picture with that rich golden-brown tone
for which Rembrandt is famous and which gives to his pictures their
mysterious and peculiar charm.
It is said that the other portraits in the Ryks Museum, Amsterdam, where
this picture is hung, look dull and lifeless beside it. And, strange to
say, it was painted when Rembrandt was fast losing his eyesight and
when, too, he was in great financial difficulties. The order for the
picture was given him by an old friend who thought first of his need,
but later of his great genius. It was Rembrandt’s last important order
before his death in 1669.
Although these men are looking toward us, no two are in exactly the same
position. The light from the window falls full on the face of each
syndic; even the servant is not placed in the shadow. Suppose these men
had been represented as of exactly the same height; that would have
given us a straight horizontal line across the picture even straighter
than that of the wainscoting above, which is broken by the corner of the
room. Thus we would have had a stiff, uninteresting arrangement.
Art students from all over the world go to the Art Museum to study and
copy parts of this wonderful painting. Joseph Israels tells us he made a
copy of his favorite figure, which was “the man in the left-hand corner
with the soft gray hair under the steeple hat.”
=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Where are these
men? Why have they met here? What is their trade? For what purpose were
the guilds formed? Tell about the first guilds and their purpose. In
what country were these guilds most popular? Where do they still exist?
Who were the syndics? What were some of their duties? What was the place
called where they met? What do we have in our country in the place of
syndics and guilds? Of what benefit are they? How are the syndics in
this picture dressed? At whom are they looking? What can you say of the
man standing behind the syndics? Which syndic seems to be the most
important? What unpleasant experience had the artist had that influenced
him in painting this picture? In what ways do the positions of the six
men differ? What can you say of the composition of this picture? the
light and shade? What qualities of greatness do you find in this
picture? How did Rembrandt happen to paint it? What colors did he use?
Where is the original painting?
=The story of the artist.= Rembrandt was born in Leiden, the
Netherlands, in 1606. In those days, when there were no newspapers and
no one cared to set down the daily events in the lives of great men, it
was only what the man actually accomplished that was recorded. So we
know very little of the early life of Rembrandt. Some authorities
declare he was born in a windmill, but most agree that as his father was
a prosperous miller, the son was no doubt born in a very comfortable if
not elegant home. However that may be, we know that Rembrandt spent many
happy hours with his brothers and sisters high up in this windmill, and
here it is believed he first studied the effect of light and shade on
objects.
From the small window in the tiny room at the top of the mill little
light could be expected, and as he did much of his painting here his
studies were mostly in shadow. Often he must have looked from this
little window down upon the quaint city of Leiden, built upon its ninety
islands joined by at least a hundred and fifty bridges; upon its wide
streets, rose-bordered canals, houses built in rows, each with its own
windmill, and the picturesque rows of trees. The largest building of all
was the University, for which Leiden is still famous. Rembrandt attended
this university, we are told, and as he looked at it he must have
recalled its history and how bravely the Dutch people fought when the
Spanish army tried to capture the city—how they braved famine and
pestilence as they awaited the arrival of Prince William of Orange. As a
reward for their courage, William offered his people either a great gift
of gold or a university; and, although the people needed the money to
rebuild their houses, they chose the university.
Rembrandt is one of the great artists who is known to the world by his
first name. His father’s name was Gerrit Harmens and he was called
Harmens van Rijn (by the Rhine). According to a custom of those days the
name frequently told where the man lived. His son was called Rembrandt
Harmenszoon van Rijn, meaning Rembrandt, son of Harmens by the Rhine.
Rembrandt’s great love for good pictures, and his desire to draw, caused
his parents to send him to an artist to study. He studied with this
teacher at home for three years. Then he spent several months in
Amsterdam studying, but finally decided that nature should be his
teacher. He was then only sixteen years old, but he fitted up the little
room in the mill as a studio, and here he continued his study. He
painted his father, his mother, and his brothers and sisters many times.
Then he painted his own portrait by looking in a mirror, and, by
assuming various attitudes and different expressions, he received much
valuable practice which, later on, helped him greatly.
His first great work was a portrait of his mother, painted when he was
twenty-three years old. Two years later he went to Amsterdam, where his
pictures brought large prices and pupils flocked to him from all parts
of Europe. Once he painted a window with a servant standing near it that
was so real it deceived every one.
About this time he married the beautiful Saskia, whose picture he has
painted so many times. His home was furnished extravagantly, and nothing
was too good to give Saskia.
There are three great paintings by Rembrandt which mark three epochs in
his life. The first was “The Anatomy Lesson,” painted for Doctor Tulp,
representing the Professor of Anatomy lecturing to his class. It is said
that Rembrandt hid behind a curtain and, without their knowledge,
observed the class during several lessons that he might secure natural
expressions and positions. This picture was painted shortly after his
marriage to Saskia, and through it he became famous. It marks the
beginning of the happiest part of his life.
The second great painting was the “Night Watch,” which was not
appreciated because he failed to give all the figures equal prominence.
This picture marks the beginning of his fall from favor, and it was
about this time that his wife, Saskia, died.
Crushed by both sorrow and misfortune, Rembrandt still continued to
paint. His choice of subjects, however, changed noticeably. He now
painted more of the sorrow, poverty, and distress of life. His house,
with all its beautiful furnishings, was sold.
Then came his great painting, “The Syndics of the Cloth Hall,” in which
he seems to have concentrated all his wonderful genius. But, masterpiece
that it is, the picture won no popularity, and so the last years of
Rembrandt’s life were spent in increasing poverty and sadness.
Other noted pictures by Rembrandt are: “Christ Blessing Little
Children,” “Sacrifice of Abraham,” “Portrait of an Old Woman,” “The
Mill,” “Saskia,” and “Supper at Emmaus.”
=Questions about the artist.= Who painted this picture? Why was he so
named? Why do we know so little about him? Where is it believed that
Rembrandt first studied light and shade? What other training did he
have? How did he paint his own portrait? What was his first great
painting? Tell something which illustrates how well he could paint. Was
the greatness of “The Syndics of the Cloth Hall” appreciated when it
appeared?
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[Illustration]