We love surprise twists in the plot of novels and movies. How can painters achieve the effect of surprise in their narrative images? Masaccio, Rembrandt, Poussin, and more.
Rembrandt
One of the earliest synthetic pigments, it was widely used throughout Europe, India, and Asia. But like lead white, it is seriously toxic.
Lead-tin yellow features in many paintings of the Old Masters, until about 1750. It was then replaced and forgotten until 1940. Examples in major masterpieces from Rembrandt, da Vinci, Vermeer, and others.
It’s easy to confuse anatomising, an autopsy, and surgery. Here’s a guide to their different readings, with some of the finest example paintings.
Used since Roman times, it was common in the dress of saints. Highly toxic, it was progressively replaced by cadmium red in the late 19th century.
The role and work of the family physician was painted not infrequently in the late nineteenth century. Starting with a Rembrandt, here are some examples.
It pays to welcome strangers, and to help them rest and recover, particularly when they turn out to be Jupiter and Mercury. A wonderful story, and 4 superb paintings.
A shocking story of the abduction of a young girl by the king of the underworld, but told with sensitivity. And accompanied by some outstanding paintings.
Even when you’re the King of Kings, being depicted in art is not easy. There’s one masterpiece by Rembrandt which is perhaps appropriate to the ruler of the greatest empire of its time.
Coming in several modalities, touch is taken for granted, and least used in the arts. Paintings of and about touch are spectacular and ingenious, but there is ample scope for more.
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