Relmagi

Brandt

On the 400th anniversary
of his birth, Rembrandt's
relationship with the Jews
of his time is re-examined.

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

of Chicago Press; $15) to
dispel erroneous notions
about a special connection
his fall, the Detroit
the artist has been said to
Institute of Arts will
have had with Jews and
have an exhibit that
Judaism.
includes Dutch artist Rembrandt
At the time that
van Rijn's prints and calls atten- Rembrandt was working,
tion to the artist in the 400th
he received commissions
year of the anniversary of his
for religious paintings to be
birth, on July 15,1606. The DIA
placed in people's homes,
is among many arts organiza-
says Nadler, professor of -
tions spotlighting the artist, who philosophy and director
died in 1669.
of the Mosse/Weinstein
Some 100 Rembrandt prints,
Center for Jewish Studies at
some with Jewish links, are in
the University of Wisconsin
the DIA collection and so avail-
in Madison. The rabbis of
able for the exhibit "The Big
Amsterdam's Portuguese Jewish
Three in Printmaking: Durer,
community were willing to go
Rembrandt and Picasso," which
along since the works of art
will be on view Sept. 13-Dec. 31.
"were not in and of themselves
Rembrandt's etchings include
idols," the author explains.
both biblical scenes, such as
The artist used Jewish models
Abraham and Isaac and David for those paintings as well, and
in Prayer, and portraits, such as
he also was commissioned to do
one of Rabbi Samuel Manesseh
portraits of people prominent
Ben Israel.
in the Jewish community where
Many myths surround the
he lived.
paintings and drawings of
But Nadler, who did extensive
Rembrandt, with some scholars
research related to Rembrandt,
now questioning Rembrandt's
uses his book to point out mis-
supposed personal involvement
understandings about the artist.
with the Jewish community and
"We've tended to mythologize
how he represented its people.
and romanticize ideas about
The artist, who lived smack in
Rembrandt," says Nadler, who
the middle of the Jewish quarter
also has written a book about
of Amsterdam, accepted commis- Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677),
sions to depict scenes from the
the groundbreaking philosopher
Old Testament and worked on
who lived in Amsterdam at the
portraits of his neighbors.
same time as Rembrandt."While
As the days of 2006 unfold,
he did live in a Jewish neighbor-
the Jewish Historical Museum
hood, he actually moved there
in Amsterdam will showcase
because it was an important art
its collection and paintings
center with art dealers."
assembled from distant places.
Nadler, who visited
Organizations are scheduling
Amsterdam, found no evidence
talks by the experts, includ-
to support that Rembrandt had
ing Steven Nadler, who wrote
any special relationship with the
Rembrandt's Jews (University
Jewish community (or any con-

T

tact with Spinoza). The themes
he painted were themes common
to Western art, "and their pro-
duction had nothing whatsoever
to do with the artist's feelings
toward the latter-day represen-
tatives of the people of Israel,"
Nadler asserts.
But, "Rembrandt used perfect
naturalism in his depiction of
Jews, an approach very different
from the medieval caricatures
that had been used to represent
Jews," Nadler says. "When he
did his biblical scenes, he used
Hebrew lettering and got help
with that from the rabbi he had
painted."
Nadler also says that assump-
tions have been made about
some of Rembrandt's paintings.
Although he did paint a portrait
of learned Jewish physician Dr.
Ephraim Bueno, among other
decidedly Jewish figures, there is
one well-known painting — The
Jewish Bride — that actually
got its title after Rembrandt's
death and consequently offers
no way of knowing whether the
subjects were Jewish.
The Jewish Historical
Museum in Amsterdam falls in
line with Nadler's approach as it

Top to bottom:

Rembrandt's The
Jewish Bride got its
title after the artist's
death; consequently

there is no way of

knowing whether the
subjects were Jewish.

Rembrandt's paint-

ing of Jewish phy-
sician Dr. Ephraim

Bueno; Amsterdam's
Portuguese rabbis

did not consider such
portraiture a form of

idolatry.

Moses with the
Tablets of the Law:
Rembrandt used per-
fect naturalism in his

depiction of Jews, an
approach very differ-
ent from the medieval

caricatures that had
been used to repre-

sent them.

Rembrandt on page 44

July 6 • 2006

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