Portland Public Library

The eye of the connoisseur, authenticating paintings by Rembrandt and his contemporaries, Anna Tummers

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 299-329) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The eye of the connoisseur

bibliography

710816293

Anna Tummers

Amsterdam Studies in the Dutch Golden Age

authenticating paintings by Rembrandt and his contemporaries

Attributing old master paintings is one of the most difficult tasks of the art historian. Moreover, the stakes can be high, especially when the painting in question might be that of a famous master. The difference in price between an authentic old master painting and a work 'in the manner of' a well-known painter can add up to several million dollars. The fingerprint of an Old Master discusses issues regarding attribution of Dutch and Flemish paintings of the seventeenth-century. Rembrandt's David and Jonathan (Hermitage, St. Petersburg), de-attributed by the Rembrandt Research Project in 1989, provides an unique opportunity to compare seventeenth- and twentieth-century connoisseurship. An analysis of the painting based on terms of seventeenth-century art theory shows that the painting must have been successful according to contemporary standards of appreciation, that is, worthy of carrying Rembrandt's name

Attributing seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish paintings: developments since 1945 -- Original or copy -- 'By his hand': the paradox of seventeenth-century connoisseurship -- 'Without changing his manner': seventeenth-century views on style -- The painter versus the connoisseur. The best judge of pictures in seventeenth-century theory and practice -- The essence of seventeenth-century connoisseurship

Authenticating paintings by Rembrandt and his contemporaries