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Transitions in Artistic Style
Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn was born in 1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands. Edvard Munch was born in 1893 in Løten, Norway. Rembrandt is considered to be the greatest of the Dutch school of painters, whereas Norwegian Munch was a gifted developer of German expressionism. At first, it would appear that these two men have virtually nothing in common, aside from their profession. Certainly, the two works in consideration (Rembrandt’s "The Apostle Bartholomew" and Munch’s "Starry Night") are as far apart as two paintings could be...or are they? I believe that these two works are reflective of the transition in each artist’s style. "The Apostle Bartholomew" was painted in 1661, eight years before the artist's death. It depicts Saint Bartholomew as a modern (for Rembrandt’s day) man, complete with cape, jacket, and vest. Indeed, the only indication that the subject is the Apostle is the knife in his right hand, an allusion to his martyrdom [According to tradition, the Apostle Bartholomew was skinned alive]. In his earlier works, Rembrandt painted with a very smooth hand. His images appear very realistic because the brush strokes themselves are almost completely hidden. In contrast, this work openly displays a rougher, more free approach. Impasto, rarely used in his earlier works except for textural effects, is quite visible on the subject’s face, hair, and coat. The subject’s pose is also interesting: the Apostle is simply sitting in thought. Compare this with the reverent, dramatic, mood of Rembrandt’s earlier Biblical works. Munch painted "Starry Night" in 1893. The landscape illustrates the coastline at Åsgårdstrand (a resort near Oslo) at night. Many of Munch’s works from this period depict scenes of sad irony, pessimism, or terror. This work, however, is more mysterious than anything else; the sky is a mix of mystical blues, greens, and grays, with a few points of white as stars. The horizon separating the earth from the heavens is little more than a black line. A waterfall pours down the face of a mountain, only to disappear at its base. The shoreline of the lake twists in and out, defying perspective. In the foreground, a fence runs down toward the water’s edge. The lighting on the fence is odd; it seems to be displaying the shadows of some unseen (human?) forms. Munch’s brush strokes suggest other figures elsewhere: in the sky, on the rock face, in the water. In comparing the two works with each other, one sees many differences and few similarities. "The Apostle" displays Rembrandt’s excellent command of lighting; the painting itself seems to flicker and glow by the light of candles or a lantern. The light in "Starry Night", however, is mystical, "the eerie phosphorescence of decay." Rembrandt’s brushing may have been freer than in his earlier works, but it was definitely not less precise. His subject was still painted "as he was." In "Starry Night" the brushing is almost haphazard, with some areas covered in thick paint, others with the canvas almost showing through. Munch’s work clearly displays his Expressionistic style: its distorted forms and colors give expression to the painter’s feelings. As I said, I feel that both these works are indicative of a transition in each artist’s style. In "The Apostle Bartholomew" the transition is clear; Rembrandt is moving from his smooth earlier style to a freer, more expressive style. In "Starry Night" the transition is not so clear. Munch had been painting in the expressionist style for years, and the style itself was not new; artists had been using expressionistic techniques for many years prior (although it was only around Munch’s time that the style was named and became an intentional, deliberate, style of painting). However, most of Munch’s works from this period deal with the darker aspects of life (e.g., "The Scream"). This work stands out as a piece not explicitly concerned with death, pain, or horror. Munch’s later paintings are more naturalistic, more colorful. Perhaps this nature scene, mysterious as it is, could be thought of as a premonition of that later style. If so, then perhaps these two works are reflective of transitions in each artists style; one moving toward more expression, the other toward more restraint. For Further Reading... |
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Copyright © 2000 Andy Clifton