Rembrandt Life Of Christ

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Fifteen etchings from the life of Christ by the incomparable Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69), with a commentary highlighting each scene's religious significance. When Rembrandt was a young artist in 17th-century Holland, paintings and statues had been removed from Protestant churches. But people still desired to see Jesus. They wanted pictures of the life of Christ in their Bibles and prayer books and to hang on their walls at home. Rembrandt was working in a long tradition of Eastern and Western Christian artists who made images of Jesus that reveal him as Emmanuel, as God with us. They are not trying to depict God-impossible!-or simply show the human side of Jesus. Rather, they show us a human life radiating the light and force, the energy, of God. When an artist approaches the making of an image of Jesus in a spirit of prayer and reverence, as Rembrandt seems to have done, the result is an image that invites us to open ourselves to God's action. Such an invitation-to let God transform us through the contemplation of a prayerful image-is similar to opening ourselves to the word of God in slow, meditative reading of the Bible. In using visual images in prayer, the "viewer" takes the opportunity to pause and to ruminate, exploring the depths of the image, so that heart speaks to heart in silent communion.

Rembrandt stands in a long tradition of artists who portrayed Jesus as Emmanuel, revealing the light and life of God. As with icons, such images invite us not simply to consider the human side of Jesus, but to open ourselves to the energy and action of God. These images of stories and scenes from the Gospels are profoundly beautiful and full of spiritual depth, radiating the compassionate humanity of Christ. Anne Boyd's sensitive text shows us how to use these images and the Gospel passages to bring this compassion into the turmoil of todays world and into our own lives.

Presents and explores the seven known oil sketches of Christ on oak panels by Rembrandt, along with over 60 paintings, drawings and prints by him and his pupils.

Readers have likely drawn pictures of themselves and their friends. If so, they’ve drawn self-portraits and portraits. Rembrandt was a Dutch painter and etcher famous for his dramatic portraits and self-portraits. Readers learn about the history of Rembrandt’s storied artistic career as they view images of some of his most famous works. Sidebars accompany informative text, enlightening readers about not only Rembrandt’s life but also various artistic techniques. How does an etching differ from a painting? The answer is waiting for readers to discover!