The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 8, Number 2, Winter 2019 | Page 26

The Saber
lines. Many artists adapted by retreating
to neutral subjects such as portraiture,
landscapes, still-lifes, classical mythology,
and history, anything that would not
offend Calvinist reformers. 13 As noted,
Rembrandt had followed suit with the
use of dramatic chiaroscuro. Further, art
historian Julius Held stated, “Nothing
indeed seems to support the theory that
to the contemporary Dutchmen Rembrandt’s
art appeared strange, eccentric
or out of line with what they knew from
other artists.” 14
One of the most important subjects
Halewood identified, the conversion
of the apostle Paul, offers a clue
to Rembrandt’s thinking. The artist
portrayed Paul at least eleven times.
Calvinists considered Paul a hero, the
Protestant everyman. One sketch shows
him weakened from his conversion,
crumpled and in need of God’s mercy—
Calvinist grace. Other works show him
in quiet, contemplative moods with accompanying
symbolism in accordance
with Calvinist principles. Rembrandt
even produced a self-portrait in which
he posed as Paul. Yet the dates of these
renditions range from very early to very
late in the artist’s career. Rather than
developing a style to satisfy the definition
of Calvinist grace, Rembrandt was
already creating works from the beginning
that fit the ideal.
Rembrandt’s upbringing amidst
the all-pervasive Calvinist doctrines
and attitudes would have likely saturated
his knowledge of biblical subjects. He
would not have read religious treatises—Halewood
believes this is true 15 —
but even without this aid, Rembrandt
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