Rembrandt portrays the Jewish world
The numerous retrospectives held around the world on one of the great geniuses of painting have dealt with his best-known facets, highlighting above all that of an impressive portrait painter. The one now on show at the Centro Sefarad in Madrid, however, is an informative exhibition that aims to construct, for the first time, a unique narrative through the exhibition of reproductions of the Baroque painter's least known works and his association with the Jewish world. Rembrandt is considered to be the non-Jewish painter who best captured the Jewish soul in his works. Or, to put it in the words of Chaim Nachman Bialik, 'this gifted genius has miraculously captured the core of the Hebrew soul, like no other painter'.
Rembrandt's arrival in Amsterdam and his settlement in the Vlooienburg district made it the scene of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn's (1606-1669) friendship and relationship with many Sephardic and Ashkenazi families. Amsterdam became one of the major havens of the Sephardic diaspora and a thriving international marketplace. This flourishing Dutch Golden Age was an excellent market for artistic exchange as soon as the ban on Jewish life in the Netherlands, decreed by Emperor Charles V, was no longer in force.
Vlooienburg became almost at once the richest and most elite quarter of Amsterdam, and Rembrandt was able to portray, on his own initiative or by commission, the most influential and wealthy members of that society. Few families could afford to pay 500 guilders for a portrait, according to the exhibition curator and art historian Alba Carballeira.
She herself points out that Rembrandt's house and studio, at number 4 Breestraat, was not only a place where he worked and met, but also a showcase for his work. His tenants were the Jewish merchants Jacob and Samuel Pereira, whose stories led to his well-known fascination with the Jewish world. It is enough to compare the list of the surnames of his main friends at the time, Pinto, Pereira, Rodrigues, Bueno, etc., to know that many of them came from Portugal and Spain.
Among the works on display, the engravings deserve special attention. Curator Carballeira argues that the virtuosity of Rembrandt's brushwork overshadowed his valuable contribution to innovation in his technique. Rembrandt not only experimented with the materials used for his prints, but also found ways to rework his images during the printing process, which in his time was as unprecedented as it was revolutionary.
The selection of prints includes little-known works such as "Jews in the Synagogue", "Circumcision in a Stable", "The Prodigal Son" and "King David in Prayer", which demonstrates the artist's Christian roots, as it shows him on his knees, an attitude that is alien to Jews when they pray.
In addition to the portraits, the section of stories of religious texts is particularly exciting, whether it be "The Feast of Balthasar" or "Samson's Wedding Feast", in which some specialists would like to see an artistic competition between Rembrandt and "The Last Supper" by the great Leonardo da Vinci. Last but not least, the scene from "The Jewish Bride" is sublime, in which the artist captures a moment of tenderness between Isaac and Rebecca, who pretended to be brother and sister to prevent the former from being murdered and his wife from being captured by King Abimelech.
While visiting the exhibition, which will remain open until the end of October, the enveloping music of Jewish composers such as Abraham Caceres, Salomone Rossi or Giacobbe Basevi, whose works had a profound impact on the heart of the Dutch capital, plays. It is certainly not a minor element for the visitor to contemplate the exhibition in an atmosphere similar to that in which Rembrandt breathed.
