New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-10

r,,v from Rembrandt meant nothing to him De-
vond a painful emotion and decrease OF lo'
tune Shortly after the year of Tine N's".
Watch" he painted the magnificent portrait VI
Elizabeth Bas" which should have SHOWN ''e
artists and dilettanti their folly in deserving us
standard; his landscape faculty was given ne"
impetus by the communion with nature '"'o
which his loneliness threw him; ana poln do
c,cher and painter he took great strides forwa'u
These years are fun OF portraits of the inhteu
circle of friends and patrons still remaining 10
him But the academic taste of the day was III
exorable and he was thrown back upon himself
Though never without a certain following MS
time was much more his own than formerly anu
he spent it in the scclusion Of his home
When NJ Michel speaks Of Rembrandts pru-
dent YOUTH" as noted above, he is speaking OF
the artist solely. AS man Rembrandt was ex-
travagant and as imprudent as 1t was possible
for him to be- He was fond of gorgeous embel-
ushments for his studio fond Of jewels and fine
brocades for Saskia fond Of pictures by other
artists OF prints and drawings. and he was eX-
cessvely careless Of the monetary obligations IN
volved In the satisfaction OF his hoboles ms
affairs went from bad to worse. He GOT into the
hands of the money-enders. In 1867 he was de-
clared bankrupt In the following year ms
house and all its treasures were sold To meet the
demands Of his creditors and lat the age Oh
ffty-hve he found himself homeless and penniiess'
stripped OF all that had made life pleasant TO
him" He never recovered from ms plo": iils
work went in uninterrupted progression Oh
masterpieces. but his fortunes sank lower ana
lower with lawsuits and the loss OF loved ones
embittering his life until in 1859 he d.ed ana the
waters flowed over the event WIN hdTui! iipP'c
to mark the date.
The art OF Rembrandt was founded on SIM
pcity and deep human sympathy. lie wosked
out problems Of lighting which seem arthlclal
i'm their essence. like the problem solved IN me
Night Watch" itself. and he approached again
and again. in realistic mood some 81 tne
sublimest, most idealistic subjects IN the Scrlp.
urcs Yet his effects always renarNaple
for their truth and dignity. for the utter an
scnce Of artiticiality; and his Blbhcal co,i .p
sitons are frequently Of Incompatible pathoS
and beauty. He had no suotlety OF synpoiiS'n
in his religious designs; for aliegofy ne NAG i
neither the taste nor the Gtt; ne cou' Si nv.
rise To the majesty of Michael Angelo or Slsno-
relli In their great frescoes. ana ne was l.'
removed from the sweetness 3f rensiouS set tho
ment which PeruginO and Raphael raised ~ the
mos, refined pitch Of expression. He did touch
with unerring skill the chord TO when hu'nth-
ity In the aggregate instincuVely IespohuS.
Drawing his conceptions from the biple' hc
drew his models from the streets OF Ansterr am
and he who runs may read what he has 10 say
with the magic Of rich Inauguration at ms
command and welding "A brush or Il p.ii't 'il','
played Familiarity with the secrets OF dramatic
and awe-lnspiring effects he preferred 10 remain
the greatest Of all rcalsts. ancient or ihoue'n'
and TO achieve beauty primarily by 'hc IeP'c-
sentation Of truth. At no stage OF ms u'ge'op
ment did he defect from tie resolution. as ne
has himself expressed II. 10 put into ms p'ctnres
..as much Of III. and reality AS possible. Inc
Sipht Watch" does not belle this. II may not
have satisfied the men who desired their por-
traits preserved I'm II. but II is not Tor thht I'a
con any the less realistic. While "A great heai
~ Eembrnndts charm is sensuous. while the
tcchnician rcyc.ts 10 the purity ara StrcHeN"
az his etched line or to the richness 81 MS I'M
pasio and the innumerable passages or haWlesS
execution I'm his paintings. the critic can never
lose sight Of the fertility of his ideas. the orig,
lnality and learning o. his coInp"s'ilohH am
-, In. fi,nI l, "A
pervades lis smallest IS well as his greatest
works Before parting with N. MichcTs Judi-
cious study Of the painter In whom so HldnS
ht,b o,.lffi.s wore ioined We must say word
Tor the illustrative assistance the PUBLISHERS
have given him The volumes contain sixty
seven full-page platcs and -, illust!atl"hs III
The text The best French processes nave peeii
used I'm the making Of these illustrations ana
thcy are II invaluable serv.c" In vivifying the
text. An elaborate catalogue compete" ~"
~ ,,hich f. without question the best life
~ Tembrandt available for English students.