Rembrandt : Compliant Calvinist or Independent Thinker ?
also a dramatist . He became obsessed with telling a story through a painting or etching , finding the decisive moment in a scene , and through it , expressing commentary that was religious , social , political , or all three .
In light of his artistic goals , how religious Rembrandt actually was is difficult , if not impossible , to determine . Biblical tales were a principal source for Rembrandt ’ s storytelling . The Italian artist Filippo Baldinucci ( 1624-1697 ) claimed that Rembrandt “ professed in those days the religion of the Mennonites .” 7 Scholars have speculated on the truth of this claim , noting that austere black and white Mennonite clothing and themes of family ties , honesty , piety , charity , and patience recurred often in Rembrandt ’ s art . However , the clothing of those images was common to the period and worn by both Remonstrants and Catholics alike . Rembrandt ’ s father was most likely a liberal Calvinist Remonstrant , but how much influence his father had on him is unknown . Regardless , Rembrandt did not appear to have adhered to or cared for any organized religion . 8
Rembrandt produced his first known painting , The Stoning of St . Stephen , in 1625 . While art critics do not consider it a good painting , it already demonstrated Rembrandt ’ s strong drive to become a history painter and his dramatic storytelling capabilities . It shows a group of men wielding stones the instant before they crush a martyr ’ s skull . In the background is a group of men who show utter indifference to Stephen ’ s plight . Behind the group of stone throwers , a face gazes out at the painting ’ s viewer with an “ expression of glee — another nice , chilling touch ” to the story ’ s mood , in the words of Rembrandt biographer Charles L . Mee . 9 Intriguingly , art experts identify the face as one of Rembrandt ’ s many self-portraits . What was he trying to convey ? Within the context of Rembrandt ’ s time , the tightening austerity of the Calvinists narrowed religious tolerance . With hardliner Counter-Remonstrants pushing for continued war against Catholic Spain , a Remonstrant leader had been arrested and beheaded in 1619 during a period of sectarian strife . In this painting , Rembrandt appears to have made a daring and courageous plea for peace and tolerance , putting him on the side of the liberal Remonstrants .
But was Rembrandt truly commenting on this event ? Perhaps , but not necessarily . The painting appeared in the same year that Prince Frederik Hendrik came to power . Perhaps Rembrandt wanted to appear in a favorable light to the prince or to wealthy liberal Calvinists who might confer a lucrative history painting commission upon him . While this is conjecture , like any other artist , in his early days Rembrandt struggled to establish his career through a good reputation .
Whether Rembrandt ever read van Mander ’ s book on the rules of art is doubtful , but he probably knew of it . Even if he had read it , he produced art by his own rules , not the way others thought he should . He continued to paint history scenes , numerous society portraits that were the building blocks
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