Giles Knox examines how El Greco, Velázquez, and Rembrandt, though a disparate group of artists, were connected by a new self-consciousness with respect to artistic tradition. In particular, Knox ...considers the relationship of these artists to the art of Renaissance Italy, and sets aside nationalist art histories in order to see the period as one of fruitful exchange. Across Europe during the seventeenth century, artists read Italian-inspired writings on art, and these texts informed how they contemplated their practice. Knox demonstrates how these three artists engaged dynamically with these writings, incorporating or rejecting the theoretical premises to which they were exposed. Additionally, this study significantly expands our understanding of how paintings can activate the sense of touch. Knox discusses how Velázquez and Rembrandt, though in quite different ways, sought to conjure for viewers thoughts about touching that resonated directly with the subject matter they depicted.
The earliest painting by Rembrandt whose owner is documented depicts the prophet Balaam, on his way to blessing Israel. The man who bought it was a Sephardi Jew in the service of Cardinal Richelieu ...of France. The first known buyer of an etching plate by Rembrandt, depicting Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael, was a Sephardi Jew of Amsterdam. Seen through their eyes, Rembrandt was the creator of images with a special meaning to Jews. They have been followed through the centuries by Jewish collectors, Jewish art historians, Jewish artists who saw their own deepest concerns modelled in his art and life, and even prominent rabbis, one of whom said that Rembrandt was a Tzadik, a holy man blessed by God. This book is the first study in depth of the potent bond between Rembrandt and Jews, from his time to ours, a bond that has penetrated the image of the artist and the people alike.
The Night Watch, painted in 1642 and on view in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, is considered Rembrandt's most famous work. X‐ray powder diffraction (XRPD) mapping at multiple length scales revealed ...the unusual presence of lead(II) formate, Pb(HCOO)2, in several areas of the painting. Until now, this compound was never reported in historical oil paints. In order to get insights into this phenomenon, one possible chemical pathway was explored thanks to the preparation and micro‐analysis of model oil paint media prepared by heating linseed oil and lead(II) oxide (PbO) drier as described in 17th century recipes. Synchrotron radiation based micro‐XRPD (SR‐μ‐XRPD) and infrared microscopy were combined to identify and map at the micro‐scale various neo‐formed lead‐based compounds in these model samples. Both lead(II) formate and lead(II) formate hydroxide Pb(HCOO)(OH) were detected and mapped, providing new clues regarding the reactivity of lead driers in oil matrices in historical paintings.
X‐ray powder diffraction mapping at multiple length scales revealed the unusual presence of lead(II) formate, Pb(HCOO)2, in several areas of The Night Watch, Rembrandt's most famous painting. A possible chemical pathway resulting in the formation of this compound in historical oil paint was explored via micro‐analysis, notably using synchrotron radiation. New clues on the reactivity of metallic driers in oil systems were thus gathered.
This innovative interdisciplinary study compares the uses of painting in literary texts and films. In developing a framework of four types of ekphrasis, the author argues for the expansion of the ...concept of ekphrasis by demonstrating its applicability as interpretive tool to films about the visual arts and artists. Analyzing selected works of art by Goya, Rembrandt, and Vermeer and their ekphrastic treatment in various texts and films, this book examines how the medium of ekphrasis affects the representation of the visual arts in order to show what the differences imply about issues such as gender roles and the function of art for the construction of a personal or social identity. Because of its highly cross-disciplinary nature, this book is of interest not only to scholars of literature and aesthetics, but also for scholars of film studies. By providing an innovative approach to discussing non-documentary films about artists, the author shows that ekphrasis is a useful tool for exploring both aesthetic concerns and ideological issues in film. This study also addresses art historians as it deals with the reception of major artists in European literature and film throughout the 20th century.
This study explored how people look at The Night Watch (1642), Rembrandt's masterpiece. Twenty-one participants each stood in front of the painting for 5 min, while their eyes were recorded with a ...mobile eye-tracker and their thoughts were verbalized with a think-aloud method. We computed a heatmap of the participants’ attentional distribution using a novel markerless mapping method. The results showed that the participants’ attention was mainly directed at the faces of the two central figures, the bright mascot girl in the painting, and detailed elements such as the apparel of the key figures. The eye-movement analysis and think-aloud data also showed that participants’ attention shifted from the faces of the key figures to other elements of the scene over the course of the 5 min. Our analyses are consistent with the theory that Rembrandt used light and texture to capture the viewer's attention. Finally, the robustness of the eye-tracking method was demonstrated by replicating the study on a smaller replica.
Rembrandt's stunning religious prints stand as evidence of the Dutch master's extraordinary skill as a technician and as a testament to his genius as a teller of tales. Here, several virtually ...unknown etchings, collected by the Feddersen family and now preserved for the ages at the University of Notre Dame, are made widely available in a lavishly illustrated volume. Building on the contributions of earlier Rembrandt scholars, noted art historian Charles M. Rosenberg illuminates each of the 70 religious prints through detailed background information on the artist's career as well as the historical, religious, and artistic impulses informing their creation. Readers will enjoy an impression of the earliest work, The Circumcision (1625-26); the famous Hundred Guilder Print; the enigmatic eighth state of Christ Presented to the People; one of a handful of examples of the very rare final posthumous state of The Three Crosses; and an impression and counterproof of The Triumph of Mordecai. From the joyous epiphany of the coming of the Messiah to the anguish of the betrayal of a father (Jacob) by his children, from choirs of angels waiting to receive the Virgin into heaven to the dog who defecates in the road by an ancient inn (The Good Samaritan), Rembrandt's etchings offer a window into the nature of faith, aspiration, and human experience, ranging from the ecstatically divine to the worldly and mundane. Ultimately, these prints- modest, intimate, fragile objects-are great works of art which, like all masterpieces, reward us with fresh insights and discoveries at each new encounter.
Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation and 1p19q codeletion status have been identified as significant markers for therapy and prognosis in lower-grade glioma (LGG). The current study aimed to ...construct a combined machine learning-based model for predicting the molecular subtypes of LGG, including (1) IDH wild-type astrocytoma (IDHwt), (2) IDH mutant and 1p19q non-codeleted astrocytoma (IDHmut-noncodel), and (3) IDH-mutant and 1p19q codeleted oligodendroglioma (IDHmut-codel), based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics, qualitative features, and clinical factors.
A total of 335 patients with LGG (WHO grade II/III) were retrospectively enrolled. The sum of 5,929 radiomics features were extracted from multiparametric MRI. Selected robust, non-redundant, and relevant features were used to construct a random forest model based on a training cohort (n = 269) and evaluated on a testing cohort (n = 66). Meanwhile, preoperative MRIs of all patients were scored in accordance with Visually Accessible Rembrandt Images (VASARI) annotations and T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery (T2-FLAIR) mismatch sign. By combining radiomics features, qualitative features (VASARI annotations and T2-FLAIR mismatch signs), and clinical factors, a combined prediction model for the molecular subtypes of LGG was built.
The 17-feature radiomics model achieved area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.6557, 0.6830, and 0.7579 for IDHwt, IDHmut-noncodel, and IDHmut-codel, respectively, in the testing cohort. Incorporating qualitative features and clinical factors into the radiomics model resulted in improved AUCs of 0.8623, 0.8056, and 0.8036 for IDHwt, IDHmut-noncodel, and IDHmut-codel, with balanced accuracies of 0.8924, 0.8066, and 0.8095, respectively.
The combined machine learning algorithm can provide a method to non-invasively predict the molecular subtypes of LGG preoperatively with excellent predictive performance.
Heritage Science. In their Research Article (e202216478), Victor Gonzalez et al. report the detection and distribution of lead(II) formate in Rembrandt's Night Watch from the macro‐ to the microscale.
Patches of small smooth plains cover a substantial portion of the Mercurian surface, but their origin and relation to the global evolution are not completely understood. Here, we update the global ...inventory of small smooth plains on Mercury, classifying their spatial distribution, absolute model ages, and possible origins. We reveal that both large and small smooth plains on Mercury were dominantly emplaced within ∼200 million years around 3.7 Ga, and at least ∼24.9% of the global surface was resurfaced during this period. Small smooth plains formed by effusive volcanism are preferentially located around the contemporaneous Caloris, Rembrandt, and Beethoven basins and at thin crust areas. We also report small smooth plains that were likely emplaced by basin ejecta. Together with the distribution of similarly aged large smooth plains, our results reveal that peaked formation of large impact basins may be a major trigger for this short‐term and global‐wide volcanism.
Plain Language Summary
The history of volcanism is a pulse curve of geodynamics of planetary bodies. Large smooth plains on Mercury were formed by effusive volcanism before 3.5 Ga. Small smooth plains occupy a substantial portion of this planet and they have a wider geographic distribution than larger ones, but their possible origins have not been systematically studied. The patchy occurrence of small smooth plains indicates that they may better represent the global thermal evolution. Here, we update the global distribution of small smooth plains and investigate the absolute model age and possible origin for each case. At least 123 of the 315 cataloged small smooth plains were likely emplaced by effusive volcanism that preferentially occurred at thin crust areas. Smooth plains, regardless of origins and sizes, were mainly formed in ∼200 million years around 3.7 Ga, revealing that >24.9% of Mercury surface was emplaced by short‐term effusive volcanism. The preferential occurrence of volcanic smooth plains around the Caloris, Rembrandt, and Beethoven basins suggests a possible trigger by these impact events. We report evidence showing that coeval and collocated small smooth plains can have different origins, as some smooth plains may be ponded ejecta deposits that were emplaced by contemporaneous impact basins.
Key Points
Global inventory of small smooth plains on Mercury is created, with an emphasis on their origins and absolute model ages
Formation of smooth volcanic plains peaked at ∼3.7 Ga, with a preferential distribution around the Caloris, Rembrandt, and Beethoven basins
Smooth plains with unconfirmed volcanic origin were also uniformly formed around 3.7 Ga, some were likely emplaced by basin ejecta
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