Sharjah: Aladdin Mahmoud
What distinguishes the works and paintings of the Dutch artist Rembrandt Hermenszoon van Rijn, (1606-1669), is that great expressive power, as well as his culture and scientific knowledge of the theories of light and shadows, and his ability to treat his subjects in an emotional theatrical style. About him in his drawings, during which he reflects the noble human values of his thoughts and personal reflections on the fate of the human race. All these factors made him one of the great masters of Western painting. During his lifetime, he had a great reputation, and was also famous for his works by painting with gold water, and Rembrandt was influenced by the artists Carvaggio and Rubens, but he used the effects of light and paint freely to justify the emotional and psychological state.
Although Rembrandt did not travel much outside his country, he was greatly influenced by the drawings and works of the great Italian artists as well as the Dutch who studied in Italy, and despite his great successes in painting portraits at an early age, his later life witnessed many personal tragedies and lived years of Poverty, but his works were very popular and enjoyed throughout his life, and he became an example, not only in Holland, but in the rest of the world, and what distinguishes him is also the abundance of production, where his works amounted to more than 600 paintings and portraits.
The painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son” is considered one of the most important and famous of his paintings, and it belongs to his style and philosophy in life, as well as that passion for the game of colors and excellence in the use of light and shadow, or darkness, and the distribution of colors freely, and in a way that outweighs the psychological states in the painting, from joy, sadness and sorrow longing, etc. This painting was made by Rembrandt in 1665; That is, shortly before his death, and some say that the painting, which was considered one of the world’s artistic icons, is the last of the painter, and aside from that controversy, what seems clear in the matter is that the painting reflected the deep artistic expertise and stylistic development of Rembrandt.
feelings
The painting was painted with oil on canvas, and several characters appear in it, but the main characters in the painting are the father who receives his returning son after a long absence, who has lost his way and moved away from the family. His looks and the placement of his hands on his son’s shoulder, while the son appears remorseful and hopes for his father’s forgiveness, and while the father appears from the wealthy class in his clothes and appearance, the son appears in a miserable form with worn clothes and bruises on his head, and his appearance appears affected by the years of misery he spent away from home, and does not want Life is not paternal love and the warmth of the family, while standing next to the father are two men from the family, or perhaps they are the father’s friends, as they seem reverence, and they do not show any of the feelings interacting with the special human moment, while the eldest son in the background of the scene, the painter highlights him in a moment of joy Overwhelmed with his brother’s return, his sister appears behind him, who seems happy with that return.
a description
Rembrandt creates a wonderful scene in this painting, there are people lurking in the shadows, while the spotlight shines in a manner akin to theatrical techniques on the father and his son, so that it appears as the main scene in the painting, these bright colors directed towards the moment of meeting symbolize mainly love, tenderness and human life That affection must prevail, for the father in that touching moment completely forgot all his anger against his son, and all the causes of darkness were removed from his heart, and only affection and beauty remained, as well as the son who knew at this moment that nothing in the world is safer than the home, nor more helpful than the father. Perhaps Rembrandt puts the recipient in front of this deep poetic scene that he created to incite him to contemplate and think. It shines in the life of this family, which is preparing for a new phase in its life, full of affection, mercy and solidarity.
a story
In this painting, Rembrandt provides details of a story, and narrates it with the technique of colors, connotations and symbols, he tells of a son returning to his home after a long journey in the world, and a father as if waiting for that return, or rather, as if he lived for it, and the artist deepens for us the moment the son fell into his father’s arms after Stranded, and no escape, with his worn-out shoes, symbolizing loss of strength and endurance, and lack of every means to achieve anything, that colorful story painted by Rembrandt indicates a terrible end to unfulfilled hopes, the father comes to receive his son and lays his hands on him, while The son almost falls to the ground in a terrible form, the impact of which leaks directly to the meeting or the beholder.
color dialogue
Rembrandt excelled greatly in the process of distributing calm colors and their different degrees, especially that strange mixture of maroon, black and white, and degrees of red and yellow. And other strong human feelings that can be read in the faces, especially the son, father and sons in the background, which made a scene full of beauty and the power of creativity.
creativity
The subject of “The Return of the Son” is one of the most popular topics in international painting, and many artists dealt with it in their paintings, such as the German painters Hieronymus Bosch, Albrecht Dürer, the Spanish artist Murillo, the French painter and writer James Tissot, and the Baroque Goverchino, but Rembrandt was very influenced by that topic. He was unique in treating it and pouring in it a great creative force, which had an impact on the beholder, as the painting is packed with meaning, intellectual visions and emotional reflections.