My Second Paper

Gary Wilson
Jerry Nevins
Museum Experience
April 3, 2011
Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer

Rembrandt Van Rijin was born July 15, 1606 in Leiden In Protestant Holland . He was the ninth child born to Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn and Neeltgen Willemsdochter van Zuytbrouck. As a child Rembrandt attended Latin school and in his later years he attended the university of Leiden. while attending the University, he apprenticed under two prominent artists Jacob van Swanenburgh, and Pieter Lastman .Rembrandt collected an abundance of knowledge from both artist and went on to cultivate and develop his own style of art. His subject matter includes biblical and mythological scenes, landscapes, and portraits. He was attracted to dramatic effects to light and dark but he used them as much to create the character of his figure as their background. In 1624-25 Rembrandt open his own studio and shared it with his friend and colleague Jan lievans(Wikipedia). He became an instant success but his spending and rotten financial investment brought him just shy of poverty .In 1634 Rembrandt Married Saskia and throughout their marriage, they suffered many tragedies.Saskia bore 4 children and only one made it through adulthood. Despite his tragedies, he stayed focus ,and produced great artwork. I will list a few of his great works. The Blinding of Samson, Belshazzar’s Feast, Leaning on a Sill(aged thirty –four) Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning(known as the Night Watch) self –portait as Saint Paul(aged Fiffy-Five). In 1668 more tragedy hit Rembrandt. The only child that made through adulthood passed away from the plague. Rembrandt was devastated from the loss of his son and he died two months later.
Throughout his life, Rembrandt van Rijn painted many self-portraits that chronicled his evolution as an artist from youth to old age. I was drawn to this portrait because it faithfully capture the emotional states of the artist at the time and his ability to capture the physical attributes of the sitter without embellishments. Throughout his career, Rembrandt seems to have been deeply aware of the fragility of human life and of the question of the purpose of life as is shown by his self-portraits and other paintings as well. This is seen in the painting, Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer, where the painter depicts Aristotle as he reflects over the sculpted bust of Homer. Aristotle was one of the greatest Greek philosophers while Homer was a great poet who had lived about three centuries before him (Jones).
The subject of the painting has not always been identified as Aristotle and it has been interpreted differently in various times. The main figure had been variously identified as Tasso, Virgil, a philosopher, as well as other historical or imaginary figures. It was in 1917 when documents from Ruffo, who commissioned the painting, were published and the connection between them and the painting was made. The most respected interpretation of the painting is one that made by Julius Held in 1969. Held stated that Aristotle was comparing two types of values. On one hand, there was fame and financial success, which brought about material contentment, while on the other was intellectual and spiritual contentment (The Metropolitan Museum of Art).
While Aristotle was financially successful, Homer was not and hence Aristotle seems to be contemplating whether he has sold himself out. The poet’s bust is distinguishable since Homer was blind and he is dressed modestly while Aristotle is dressed in rich clothes and he has a gold medallion, a gift from one of his most distinguished pupils, Alexander the great (Harden). In the painting, Aristotle seems to be modeled after the artist own musings whereby the artist combines his concerns with those of Aristotle. At the time the portrait was made, the artist was having financial difficulties although he was very successful as an artist (Harden).
The artist’s success is evident in the fact that he enjoyed the patronage of noblemen. For example, the painting was commissioned by a prominent Sicilian patron, Don Antonio Ruffo, thereby showing the prestige the artist enjoyed given that he was getting commissions from other regions. The patron, who was an avid collector of paintings, did not ask for a particular subject, a situation that is likely to have engaged the artist’s imagination (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Therefore, the artist is comparable to Aristotle in that he was recognized for his abilities internationally. Aristotle seems to be pondering which is of importance; the material success he has enjoyed or his sincere contribution to art. He is comparing Homer’s greatness, which was recognized even though he lived in abject poverty, to his position since he lived in affluence.
In the painting, light streams in from the upper left lighting Aristotle’s face that slightly faces downward. The lighting strongly emphasizes Aristotle and Homer’s bust while leaving out details that might distract the viewer from the scene. It also gives depth to the figures thereby enhancing the realism of the painting. Rembrandt is considered to have belonged to the Baroque style of art whereby emotion was prominently depicted. The painting shows Aristotle to be successful and advanced in years. He is shown to be slightly gloomy and in a contemplative mood. Homer’s bust shows him to have been an unaffected and contented figure, a condition that Aristotle seems to envy. As such, the painting can be interpreted as a statement on man’s search for meaning in life and the lack of meaning in material possessions. This is because Aristotle has material success but still lacks contentment while Homer is shown to be poor and is seemingly contented. The search is shown to be enduring given that Aristotle, who lived many centuries before Rembrandt, was grappling with the same questions that occupy Rembrandt.
The Baroque style aimed at simplicity, immediacy, and emotional engagement with the audience. The painting Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer engages the viewer in the scene, which though private, is one that most people can identify. This is because the search for meaning is a universal endeavor and Aristotle’s emotions can be clearly identified. As people try to understand their place in life, they look on the lives of previous individuals to whom they can relate. As such, the viewer can identify with Aristotle in the painting thereby drawing an emotional response. This was one of the characteristics of Baroque art since it sought to draw responses from ordinary people by using images and ideas that could be easily understood.
The painting Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer shows Rembrandt’s preoccupation with the questions of mortality and the meaning of life. The work is painted in the Baroque style; in the style, portraying emotions and simplicity in conveying a message were some of the main goals. In the painting, the figure of Aristotle, who was a philosopher, examines his choices in life in comparison to those of Homer, a humble poet. The figure of Aristotle is representative of the artist’s own concerns about contentment from materials in contrast to spiritual contentment. The artist contrasts the gloomy figure of Aristotle with that of the contented Homer to show the emptiness in material possessions as opposed to fulfillment in spiritual contentment. The painting shows the immense potential of the medium for powerfully communicating ideas with simple images.


Works Cited
Harden, Mark. Rembrandt van Rijn: Aristotle Contemplating a Bust of Homer. 2011. Web. April 1, 2011.
Jones, Jonathan. “Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, Rembrandt (1653)”. The Guardian. July 27, 2002. Web. April 1, 2011.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Works of Art. 2010. Web. April 1, 2011.