The Jewish Bride by Rembrandt (Interpretation and Analysis)

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The Jewish Bride
Source: Wikimedia Commons


Today, I want to continue the discussion of Dutch Golden Age art that I started yesterday with an artist that nearly everyone has heard of: Rembrandt van Rijn. Though his name has become synonymous with art, many people are not very familiar with his actual work.

To my mind, his work can be best characterized as Baroque. It is dark (in terms of color) and is characterized by a certain eccentric, brushy style that is particular to Rembrandt. His paintings are energetic and expressive, undoubtably the qualities that originally made them precious to collectors of art. Rembrandt is known for his portraits and self portrait; however, one of his most famous portraits is also his most enigmatic.

For decades, art historians have debated the subject of The Jewish Bride. According to my research, the painting obtained its title in the nineteenth century when a collector described it as a Jewish father embracing his daughter on her wedding day. Although the title stuck (it’s important to remember that artists giving paintings titles is a fairly new development in the history of art), there appears to be no real reason to assume that this is the subject. Other scholars have theorized that the painting depicts Rembrandt’s son Titus and his wife or a biblical couple such as Isaac and Rebecca.

From a stylistic perspective, The Jewish Bride is painted in a loose, brushy style. The paint is applied thickly to the canvas, giving the painting a tactical and emotive aura. This approach gives the painting a raw and authentic mien that contributes to the appeal of the piece.

No matter the subject, the piece obviously captures a moment of love between two people with incredible tenderness and emotion. Over the centuries, it has become famous for the depth of feeling it conveys. Famously, upon seeing the painting, the artist Vincent van Gogh wrote, "I should be happy to give 10 years of my life if I could go on sitting here in front of this picture fortnight, with only a crust of dry bread for food...What an intimate, what an infinitely sympathetic picture it is."

Given this reaction, it is little wonder that The Jewish Bride has become one of the most famous love paintings in the world, second only to Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss. It is a testament to Rembrandt’s ability to convey emotion and psychological reality, the qualities that have allowed Rembrandt’s work to stand the test of time.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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