1 comments about Rembrandt Landscape Drawings (Dover Art Library).

1. These cheap reproductions only give the faintest indication that Rembrandt was aa genius with a pen and ink. Here his line work is reduced to mush and the washes are all grayed away into a uniform dullness. This is a very disappointing book. There may be some point to publishing a cheap edition, but in my opinion Dover would be better served by putting out a book with real quality rather than these bad prints.

No comments about Peter Greenaway: Nightwatching.

1 comments about Rembrandt Drawings: 116 Masterpieces in Original Color.

1. Rembrandt's drawings, though monochromatic, deserve to be in color. The variations in his pen lines and washes are part of their greatness, and I've waited for decades to see a book like this. I'm surprised it's in hardcover (I have about a thousand Dover books, all paperbacks) so it costs a few extra dollars, and it's no surprise that at least most of the reproductions are generations removed from the originals, but I'm hardly complaining. Up till now I haven't found a complete color collection of his drawings, and he is one of history's greatest (and most subtle) draftsmen, so this is a gift to the world. If we ever get a book like this reproduced from the originals, it will probably cost over $100.
   And regarding the artwork, I'll quote my elder colleague and master draftsman, Don Lagerberg: "The older I get, the better Rembrandt gets."

5 comments about Rembrandt's Eyes.

1. Simon Schama's REMBRANDT'S EYES is undoubtedly one of the authoritative works on Rembrandt's life and paintings. Schama vividly depicts the unparalled and tortured genius of Rembrandt, a man who was brilliant in success and even more so during tragedy. To understand Rembrandt's paintings is to understand the man behind each brushstroke: strong-willed, prideful, and uncompromising in his art. Schama conveys the essence of Rembrandt with such force and effectiveness that we cannot help but appreciate Rembrandt's tragic life and artistic genius.

   REMBRANDT'S EYES contains beautiful illustrations of all of Rembrandt's major works; the analysis of each is detailed, clear, and interesting. Through the course of the book, you will be fascinated by Rembrandt's self-portraits and the level of understanding with which he painted himself. Perhaps no other artist has given us such a powerful autobiography without the use of a single written word. This deep understanding of the human soul is evident in all of his works. Schama explains Rembrandt's paintings and his techniques in a comprehensive and powerful manner. If you are interested at all in the truly unique and fascinating genius of Rembrandt, REMBRANDT'S EYES is a must.

   I would highly recommend REMBRANDT'S EYES to any person interested in art history, Dutch painting, or just Rembrandt. This book also serves as a powerful autobiography of a man with a very interesting story. Be forewarned though: this book is very long, and putting it down may be hard.




2. When i bought this book, I thought that it would be an amazing and definitive book about one of the most brilliant genius of art.
   But i was wrong, this is doesn't have a point, it goes to the biography of Rubens fathers, passing thru history, economy, and anything else you imagine, this is so borring for the people that actually want to know about Rembrandt and his work. So if you are looking for a book abou Rembrand and his work, this IS NOT....



3. I think most of the reviews below cover the bases pretty well, the only criticism I can think of is the book might have been better off printed in the full "coffee table art book" size so the reproductions cited in the text would have been larger...but what a fabulous work it is, an utterly fascinating evocation of a time and place. Even if you only have a peripheral interest in the subject, you will be drawn into the sweep of the narrative through Mr Schama's depth of knowledge and skillful intertwining of the personal and the public world of 17th century Holland. I cannot think of another recent book that I have enjoyed so thoroughly.



4. One of the pleasures of reading books from your own library is that they are always there for return visits. Reading Hockney's 'Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters' stimulated this reader to probe more deeply into some of the venerated painters. Simon Schama's fine book REMBRANDT'S EYES is like an old friend, an excellent resource book for facts about Netherlands painting, social and political history that so affected the works of the two featured painters Rembrandt and Peter Paul Rubens, a page-turner novel, and a catalogue of brilliant reproductions of paintings. This book satisfies - even more the second time around!
   
   A hefty book at over 750 pages, there is not a page that Schama does not use his charming style of writing to slowly inform. We learn about the atmosphere into which Rembrandt was born, follow his works from the earliest examples through his entire career, encounter his passion for elegance and his fall into poverty, and understand his envy of the creatively and socially successful Rubens. Not a book of gossip, this, but instead a biography well documented in a fine bibliography (no mean feat for a history of a great man without much written contemporary documentation!) and a survey of illustrations that augment the story as well as any yet written.
   
   For those who hunger for knowledge about a famous painter yet who deign to wade through the usual dry treatise format, welcome to the class with Schama. This is a book that will endure (first printed in 1999 and now available in paperback) because of the stature of the subject AND the stature of the author. Hats off to Simon Schama who so entertainingly and successfully takes us behind Rembrandt's eyes to see his work as few have shown it. Grady Harp, December 06



5. Being Dutch, I remember as a kid how my teacher was mesmerizing about how wonderful it would be to have a big enough telescope to catch all the emitted light from long ago and to be able to see Rembrandt paint. I did not know why then, but now I do agree. How wonderful it would have been had he only lived 300 years more to light up all the museums in the world!
   This book is about, to my opinion, the best painter of mankind, his life and work. It is also a dual biography about Rubens, since he was so important for Rembrandt.
   The book works nicely chronological and winds its way through the younger years of Rembrandt til his last years. In the mean time we also learn a lot about not only his life in Leiden and Amsterdam, but also about the history of Holland of the 17th century. It is absolutely great to learn about for instance the Night Watch, for whom it was painted, who the people are on it, why it was so revolutionary and still the most stunning 17th century painting.
   I always wanted to know, as far as recorded history allows us, about the background of his paintings; who ordered it, did they and Rembrandt like it themselves? And most of all: analysis of the paintings themselves: what 'effects' are used, and how? This book goes into wide details of this all without getting repetitive or boring.
   Rembrandt is unique among all painters in his combination of talent and 'raffinement'. He could do anything: super precise works, impressionistic style where the paint itself was the 3d effect, portraits, group portraits, history paintings, landscapes, the best etches off all time. His touch and well-aimed strokes immediately got to the essence. His works under scrutiny come out even more unsurpassable and amazing. It is true that none of his students ever came close to his talent, and some of them tried for the rest of their life to master just some aspect of his art (for instance the light effects) while Rembrandt moved on to a more 'rough' style, although it was justly called in this book deceivingly easy to imitate, and of course, 'rough' here does not mean carelessly painted.
   Basically he is the first (and best) impressionist in the history of painting.
   I have been at the Rijksmuseum many times, and it does not matter which work you look at: Jeremia, his mother reading, the Jewish Bride, his hypnotisingly beautiful self portrait at a young age, it just shows that this is a once in a mankind kind of thing. Rembrandt has shown us once and for all what the art of painting can do, how it can lift our lives by trying so dramatically to imitate it. Indeed looking at his work, it almost seems that his paintings are triumphant over reality.
   This book is a great read and the many colour pictures of his work are, needless to say, a pleasure to look at.
   Only minus is, that Schama to my opinion is a little too modest about Rembrandt's genius.

5 comments about Rembrandt: The Painter at Work.

1. This book is not easy to evaluate, at a first sight is a very irregular book, amazing in many passages but extremely boring in many others, a whole chapter dedicated to the canvas support !?, with a great mass of technical information about thread density and weave, I think it is too much, a very important Rembrandt's trick like "glazing and sweeping" (that it is supossed he created this technique) is just overviewed when it is perhaps one of the constituents for the most amazing passages in many of his paintings.
   My conclusion is that despite of Rembrandt's Project and a lot of scholars studying his masterpieces is very, but very little what we know. How he commited his works is an enigma like in Vermeer's case, so there are a lot of books about them but very little valuable information



2. There isn't much more I can say, which hasn't already been said to reveal the great merits of this book. However I think the sheer quantity of 5 star ratings speaks volumes. This book is essential for any academic or personal study of Rembrandt, especially so for a painter as I am. On top of all the incredible detailed scientific analysis, the text is written very clearly and is even a pleasure to read. Above all, the detail shots of his paint surface, are breath taking and most instructive for any painter. They utilized different levels of magnification to reveal his work from the entirety of the picture down to the microscopic level. This book has revolutionized my studio practice!
   
   Richard T Scott
   Joelle-Scott Gallery



3. This book is generous with loads of quality pictures of the masters work and an equal amount of text for the reader of history and the technical , a good buy certainly worth the money , I really enjoyed this and I suggest it to any one with even just a passing interest in Rembrandt and an insight into how he produced his work , they actually found some of his dna in his paintings (i bet that makes you curious). This and the other book " Rembrandt's Eyes by Simon Schama" is another beauty possibly a bit better than this one Schama's book spend the first half talking a about Peter Paul Rubens and the dreams Rembrandt had of being his equal , both are great companions to each other I recommend them together.



4. This book explain a little about Rembrandt technique and some details in his paints. You can understand how could he painted so beutiful arts. But you won't be Rembrandt reading this book. Only the technique is not sufficient to be a master!
   But, if you are a Rembrandt fan, you have to read this book!



5. Excellent! Great images.
   
   (Although much of the text is very technical and concerned with small and trivial details.)

5 comments about Hana in the Time of the Tulips.

1. I loved Hana because I sympathize with her. My Dad is obsessed with his job and never seems to have enough time for me. I even asked him to read this book and he told me he was too busy. This story may be about tulips but it could be about any parent I know. Dr Phil should feature this book on his show. I just want to thank my teacher Ms Miller for giving me this great book to read.



2. Been to Holland Michigan and San Fran's PIER 39 Tulipmania Festival. Just love those bulbs. This book might be aimed at children but it's truly as beautiful as any bulb. The author does a commendable job describing The great commodity crash of 1637 through a child's eye.



3. In the double-wide painting on its cover, a girl stands in a field of tulips. Meeting her serene gaze, you risk losing track of a few minutes - or centuries. Inside are landscapes, portraits and sketches that, likewise, pull you into another time and place. Russian-born artist Bagram Ibatoulline infused these images with the look and feel of 17th-century Holland, the time of the Dutch Master Rembrandt van Rijn. That celebrated painter is the only "real" figure from history who appears in Noyes' story, Rembrandt is the rare adult in Hana's life who remembers friendship in the midst of the materialism that surrounds her.



4. The beautiful illustrations are the real gem of this book. It's a wonderful story too, but the pictures are truly breath taking.



5. A superlative work. So beautifully illustrated, and written with great grace. That rare thing: a modern classic with an actual plot, tenderness, and context!

1 comments about Rembrandt (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists).

1. The books in this series are the best books I've seen to introduce children to great artists. "Getting to Know Great Artists" books bring to life the person behind the painting with fun cartoons about his life. Why did Rembrandt start painting? What's so great about his paintings? This book makes kids care about the man and his art. Your kids will wind up knowing more about Rembrandt than most adults ever will! The combination of cartoons with color photographs of the artist's paintings makes the book lively to look at. The text is interesting and easy to read. The artist's greatest works are shown within the context they were made: what was going on in the artist's life, how the work was received by society at the time. I recommend this whole series of "Getting to Know Great Artists" very highly.

3 comments about The Rembrandt Book.

1. This is a very beautifully produced book. There are a profusion of images through out with a very broad representation of paintings, etchings and drawings. The text is excellent as Schwartz has a lot of information but never loses the flow. Many of the images were a bit on the smallish size, but considering the scope of the book, that is easily overlooked. I look forward to the day when a book of his images alone is produced in a larger format. That doesnt cost a fortune. And stays in print long enough for me to buy it. I digress. This is an excellent treatment of a very large subject.



2. Rembrandt is probably the most famous artist of all time. And this book, celebrating the 400 years since his birth is at once a tribute to the man and his life, and his work.
   
   A great deal of information is available about Rembrandt. There are some five hundred documents covering various aspects of his life. But there are still many conflicts. We are not sure just when he was born, docoments say 1605, 1606 and 1607. We are not sure how many paintings he produced - of the 400 or so usually attributed to him, at least 150 are in doubt. Likewise the number of etchings - about 285 -- and drawings maybe half of the 1575 suspected.
   
   In this book the author presents the story of his life, as can be best determined intermixed with the story of his art. The author is considered to be one of the leading Rembrandt experts and the views presented here are well reasoned and as close to being definite as possible.



3. Compiled and written by one of the world's leading experts on the life and work of Rembrandt von Rijn as part of the 400th anniversary of his birth, "The Rembrandt Book" is a 384-page compendium of biography and history of the Dutch master's life and art. Beautifully and visually enhanced with 700 full-color illustrations, "The Rembrandt Book" also provides interested readers with an introduction and analysis of all the various controversies and debates over Rembrandt in terms of just how many paintings and drawings can be accurately and definitively attributed to him. A core addition to personal, community, art school, and academic library Art History reference collections, "The Rembrandt Book" is most especially recommended to the attention of art historians, art students, art enthusiasts, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the colorful life and personal mysteries involving one of Europe's most famous and influential painters.

3 comments about The Complete Etchings of Rembrandt: Reproduced in Original Size.

1. Although budget-priced, this edition is a winner, in my opinion. All of Rembrandt's etchings are reproduced on a heavy-stock paper that is of the proper degree of shine necessary to bring out the full, crisp nuances of the etchings. The result are vividly life-like etchings that show all their intricate details. Faces and people come alive, almost jumping out of the page. The Dover people were right in thinking that only a shiny, heavy-stock paper could bring out the full details of the etchings, to create reproductions that are as closely realistic as the original impressions. Also, almost all of the impressions seem of the proper degree of sharpness and darkness necessary to bring out their details. My only problem is that the book is somewhat heavy and bulky, but this is the price to pay for the heavy-stock paper needed for excellent reproductions, each of the same size as the originals. There are also some extra inserts in the book that reproduce in full size several etchings that are too big to fit life-size within the dimensions of the book. The inclusion of these inserts is considerate on the part of the authors, showing their dedication to bringing out the full artistry of the etchings, and ensuring that the common budget book-buyer has full access to these etchings in their most vivid, almost museum-like form.



2. Rembrandt didn't invent etching, but he very nearly reinvented it. He did more with mixed processes, especially drypoint and etching, than anyone before him. He was also among the first to use etching as a drawing medium, giving it a freedom it had never had before.
   
   One distinctive feature of this book is that each print is reproduced full size. That gives the viewer unique insight into each work - was it small enough to fit the hand, or so big it had to be worked on a bench or table? Just how fine was that texture of lines? Even the biggest prints are presented full size, in a set of oversized sheets that come with the book.
   
   Probably hundreds of authors have written about Rembrandt's art, especially his drawing and etchings. I don't have much to add except what I personally have learned from his work. As well as light and dark, Rembrandt modulates a picture in levels of detail. Look at B76, for example, "Christ presented to the people." The central figures have expression and nuance. Outliers, like those towards lower left are barely sketched in. It's a fascinating way for the artist to guide the viewer's attention.
   
   One author (I forget who) was asked to name the finest printmaker of all time. He started by eliminating Rembrandt, on the grounds that this master went so far past any mortal skill that he was outside of merely human history. This book shows just where that claim came from.
   
   //wiredweird



3. We first saw this book as a reference source in an art gallery that was selling original Rembrandt etchings. The book provides an explanation of how the etchings were produced and provides photos of all (found) Rembrandt etchings in their original sizes. Since we were not very familiar with Rembrandt's etchings or with the differences in the appearance of originals produced later using the same plates, this book helped provide us with a means to evaluate the ones being sold at the gallery.
   The book is also priced well and makes a great coffee table book.

5 comments about The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming.

1. Everyone needs to reflect upon their life at some point. This book is excellent in helping one to see how their journey in life has brought them closer to God.



2. This is an excellent life changing book. Presents the core truth of the Christian Gospel in a way that touches everyday attitudes and struggles. A book so personal and touching you may find that Nouwen is addressing your own unique circumstances. I certainly did. You may find yourself thinking about a new way to live. This book changed my life.



3. This book opened up so many different ideas on the well known story of the Prodigal Son. I loved reading this book. It was my first Nouwen read, and it definitely will get me reading more of his books. If you are not familiar with Nouwen, this is a good first read.



4. "Return of the Prodigal Son" is a wonderful opportunity to hear the gentleness and genius that was Henri Nouwen. The book was originally a talk given at retreat when Nouwen was 57, about 8 years before his death, in the time following his famous service at Toronto's L'Arche Daybreak facility for severely handicapped adults. Nouwen's humility is on display, as are his deep spiritual and psychological insights.
   
   The impetus for Nouwen's reflections was Rembrandt's "Return of the Prodigal Son," painted when the artist was elderly, and following multiple tragedies in his own life. Nouwen's inspiration is less the painting, though, than the parable. His lecture is split into three parts, focusing on the younger son, the older son and the father. Nouwen's take on the parable is Jesus's radical break with interpretations of God that held sway in his own day as they still do in ours. The God that Jesus defines is not angry, vindictive or retaliatory, but completely open in love and forgiveness. While many will agree with this description of the Father, fewer will agree with Nouwen that this image of the Father exists the rest of Holy Scripture (both OT and NT) as well. While many of us are willing to accept Scripture's seemingly schizoid vision of God, Nouwen does not. He is completely committed to the loving father portrayed in this parable. For those committed to the God of condemnation, hell and judgment, Nouwen will be a disappointment (or a challenge). Human beings separate themselves from a God who is always anxious to take them back, teaches Nouwen.
   
   In Nouwen's take on the story, the younger son teaches the journey from dissolution to containment. Dissolution includes dissipation of the kind associated with the younger son in the parable -- insults to parents, arrogance, squandering of resources, immorality. But dissolution extends to other activities and attitudes that spread our energies beyond our capacities. We spread ourselves too thin, spiritually, usually out of a desire to impress those in our lives whom we want to impress or influence. But by recognizing our sonship with God, we realize that we do need to impress of fathers (whether heavenly or worldly) into loving us, allowing us to bring our spiritual energies into containment and focus. The elder son often lives in our hearts alongside the younger son. The elder son's error is in resentment and separation. He cannot rejoice that "this son of yours" has returned from death, whining about his own ceaseless and unrewarded labors. But his error also speaks to a misunderstanding of the Father's love. He feels he will be loved *because* of his obedience (evidently given grudgingly) and has missed that his gift is to have been in the presence of the Father all along.
   
   Nouwen's deep insight into the parable, whose subtlety and profundity become apparent the more listen, is astounding. The parable has the power to heal as well. For any who have felt conflict or hurt in family situations, as has Nouwen himself, the parable points the way toward a recognition of our true place in the world, and in God's eyes. This is not a dewy "I'm OK, You're OK" insight, but can lead to a profound shifting of our existential relationship with ourselves, our parents and our God. What false fronts and defenses we might shed if we truly believed in a God who loved us as beloved children -- no matter how far astray we had gone?
   
   Nouwen's style and delivery belie the intensity of his own struggle and the wisdom of his teaching. Yet the insights continue rolling in, like waves following the passage of a ship, long after the book is over. A fascinating and potentially life-changing book.



5. Henri Nouwen had a truly God-given gift - the gift of explaining timeless spiritual truths in very clear, ordinary language in a conversational and deeply captivating way. His words and his explanations imprint themselves into the memory and stay in the heart, and truly help to change lives. Much of his wisdom surely comes from his own struggles, which he admits to in the book - he personally struggled with depression, pride, desire for success and fame, envy, etc. - common human ailments. He also struggled with feeling unworthy of God, and with feeling distant from God. Yet, he learned to overcome his struggles (though he admits that he is still on a journey), and he describes how.
   
   This is the third book I have read by Neuwen. After reading Life of the Beloved I really didn't think that anything could compare, but this book, if not better, is at least just as good. It is an instantly timeless spiritual classic. The whole book is a reflection on Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son. First Nouwen reflects on the younger son who came back from a foreign land. Then he reflects on the older son who witnesses his younger brother's return. Finally, Nouwen reflects on the father figure. His insights are deep and beautiful. He leads the reader to a natural and yet incredible insight: that after identifying ourselves with both the younger and older brother, we must realize that rather than being either of these two brothers, we are called to become the father!