Sabinet | &apos;n Perkroniese herbeskouing van Rembrandt van Rijn : selfaanbieding binne &apos;n gebroke-kosmos-raamwerk : geesteswetenskappe
oa Litnet Akademies : &apos;n Joernaal vir die Geesteswetenskappe, Natuurwetenskappe, Regte en Godsdienswetenskappe - &apos;n Perkroniese herbeskouing van Rembrandt van Rijn : selfaanbieding binne &apos;n gebroke-kosmos-raamwerk : geesteswetenskappe
Author Jeanne Joubert1
Source : Litnet Akademies : &apos;n Joernaal vir die Geesteswetenskappe, Natuurwetenskappe, Regte en Godsdienswetenskappe, Volume 9, Issue 3, Dec 2012, p. 639 - 675
Keyword(s) : Betragter, Bible, Bybel, Crucifixion, Dutch tradition, Gebroke-kosmos-tradisie, Gebrokenheid, Godsdiens, Kruisiging, Nederlandse tradisie, Paulus, Perchronic, Perkronies, Religion, Rembrandt van Rijn, Self-portrait, Selfportret, St Paul, Tipikonies, Troubled-cosmos framework, Typiconic, Vertroebeling, Viewer, Wereldbeeld and Worldview
Rembrandt van Rijn se selfuitbeeldings met &apos;n bybelse tema lei hierdie ondersoek na die omvang van &apos;n gebroke mens- en wêreldbeeld in sy werk. Calvin Seerveld (o.a. 1980a, 1993) se ontwikkeling van &apos;n tipikoniese metodologie vir die kunshistoriografie, soos uitgebrei deur Dirk van den Berg (1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1996), dien as uitgangspunt, met die moontlikheid dat langs diakroniese, sinkroniese en perkroniese asse fyn differensiasies tussen kunswerke en hulle kontekste bereik kan word. Seerveld se uiteensetting van &apos;n moontlike perkroniese tradisie van grenslose, maar ook radikale vertroebeling, open veral &apos;n rykdom van moontlikhede om met &apos;n nuwe perspektief na Rembrandt van Rijn se werk te kyk. Die geskilderde selfportret is nie net die vaslegging van &apos;n spieëlbeeld nie, maar &apos;n kunsgenre wat aansluit by &apos;n stelsel van redelik konstante topoi, konvensies en patrone wat die subjektiwiteit van die kunstenaar op die voorgrond kan stel. Postmoderne debatte bied die moontlikheid om terug te keer na temas en benaderings wat skynbaar hul toepaslikheid verloor het. Interpretasie deur &apos;n gebroke-kosmos-verband kan juis dergelike benaderings met ander mikpunte aktualiseer sodat dit &apos;n nuwe blik op kunstenaarskap en die kunsgeskiedenis kan aktiveer. Rembrandt van Rijn se werk is so gerig op betragters dat dit ondenkbaar sou wees dat betragterestetika (Kemp 1985:203-21) nie as van kardinale belang in sy werk beskou kan word nie. Terselfdertyd lig sy mensuitbeeldings die alledaagse en doodgewone menslikheid uit, bely die inherente feilbaarheid van mense, maar belig ook die hoogste in mense deur die moontlikheid van genade. Dit sou nie vir my moontlik wees om enigsins die rykheid en omvattendheid van &apos;n gebroke-kosmos-tradisie, die dinamiek van die verskillende verwantskappe, verskuiwings en verdiepings wat daarin vervat kan word, tot &apos;n volledige of finale definiëring of uiteensetting te bring nie. Die wye en vervlegte moontlikhede vir interpretasie wat daardeur geopen word, vra vir verdere ondersoek.
A perchronic reconsideration of Rembrandt van Rijn : self-presentation within a troubled-cosmos framework
A perchronic reconsideration of Rembrandt van Rijn necessitates inquiry into his self-presentations with biblical themes to discover a troubled-cosmos worldview expressed in his work. Between 1625 and 1636 self-presentations, often as assistant figures, appear several times in his paintings with a biblical connection. Self-portrait as the apostle Paul (Figure 1) is his first self-portrait with biblical implications after a period of nearly 25 years. This suggests a return to self-depiction with biblical allusions, or even a statement of his personal position late in his life. This approach may represent a strong empathetic identification with the apostle Paul and the abundant references to the apostle in the Christian world.
It is possible that, on advice of Constantijn Huygens, Rembrandt van Rijn included himself in his paintings of the crucifixion as a rhetorical artifice of conviction - Christ on the cross (1631) (Figure 2), The deposition from the cross (c. 1633) (Figure 3) and The elevation of the cross (c. 1636) (Figure 4). During this time Huygens translated John Donne&apos;s poem "Good Friday: Riding Westward" (1613) from English into Dutch. Donne&apos;s meditative confessional poem suggests that the poet could have found himself incapable and unworthy of gazing upon Christ&apos;s crucifixion, but when he confessed his own need of unmerited grace, he could turn around and gaze on the face of God (Donne 1971). Rembrandt van Rijn could have identified with these ideas to the extent that it becomes more than mere self-inclusion: by placing his assistant figures intimately at the centre of the Christian concept of redemption, it suggests self-presentation, or even self-confession.
This study takes Calvin Seerveld&apos;s development of a typiconic methodology for art historiography, as extended by Dirk van den Berg, as its point of departure. It poses the possibility that fine distinctions can be made between art works and their contexts along diachronic, synchronic and perchronic axes. Seerveld&apos;s development of a possible troubled cosmic tradition may open up a wealth of possibilities for the interpretation of Rembrandt van Rijn&apos;s work. Seerveld&apos;s approach may be further complicated, but also enriched, by a 17th-century Dutch tradition in which Rembrandt van Rijn&apos;s work is embedded.
Persistent Link : http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC129816