COMPOSITION
speed and aperturesize,it might
capture two very different
interpretations of thesameview.
As a painter, youtoocanchoose
whether to representthetonesthat
you see in greaterorlesscontrastor
in a higher or a lowerkey.
CINEMATIC LIGHTING
In the still-frames ofcanvasand
paper, Rembrandt’slightingis nothing
short of cinematic.
“Rembrandt lighting”is an
established photographicportrait
convention and manyfilmmakershave
taken the Dutch artist’sdramatichigh
contrast paintingsasa referencefor
their own lighting; DulwichPicture
Gallery has even invitedrenowned
cinematographer PeterSuschitzky,
famed for his workonfilmslikeThe
Empire Strikes Back, todevisean
atmospheric lightingexperiencefor
visitors viewing theRembrandt’s
Light exhibition.
The light sourcesinRembrandt’s
paintings often remainunseen,
making sure the litsubjectremains
the tonally light focus.
In paintings likeA WomaninBed,
it arcs from a low, unseenwindowto
illuminate the titularbedandwoman,
while also throwingherfaceand
hands into shadow.
In Philemon andBaucis, an
obscured lantern castsa dramatic
chiaroscuro over Philemon,Baucis
and the disguised ZeusasHermes
sits silhouetted in near-profile.
In your own work...
Think about the control that you have
over lighting your subject. How often
do you readjust a light to create more
interesting shapes of light on your
subject or to hide or reveal their
aspects? Give some thought to the
number of light sources in your picture
and their direction, as well as
considering whether those light
sources will be present in the image or
not. Whether it is a window or a lamp
that illuminates your subject, is it
outside of the picture plane, or
contained within it? If it is inside, is it
obscured by your subjects, or placed
in plain sight?RIGHT Rembrandt
van Rijn, A Woman
in Bed, c.1647,
oil on canvas,
81 .1 x 6 7. 8 c mORDER OF OBSERVATION
Rembrandt was a master storyteller.
Whether he was presenting a grand
biblical narrative or a glimpse into
domestic life, his works were always
imbued with narrative – and not
always a straightforward one.
Whereas a book has a linear narrative,
turning from one page to another, and
a film moves forward in time from
frame to frame, a painting or print by
contrast must present its narrative
without a linear progression and yet
within a single picture plane.
Rembrandt uses compositional
devices to direct the eye around an
image, leading the viewer gently© NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND/NATIONAL GALLERY,
LONDON/REMBRANDT HOUSE MUSEUM, AMSTERDAM