Head of the Research Project "Rembrandt" refused to work on the sixth volume of "Corps of paintings of the artist

Ernst van de Wetering
Source: theartnewspaper.com

According to the newspaper The Art Newspaper, the most authoritative catalog of original paintings by Rembrandt, published under the auspices of the Research Project Rembrandt »(The Rembrandt Research Project), will not be completed. Released in October last year, the fifth volume (Springer Publishing, 1200 euros), thus became the last. Planned to make one more volume, but the head of the project, the 72-year-old art historian Ernst van de Wetering (Ernst van de Wetering) said that to work on another 800-page folio he's too old. In addition, losing in 1998, his main sponsor - the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research in recent years, the project experienced difficulties in financing.

research project "Rembrandt" was launched in 1968, then Van de Wetering was the youngest participant. Initially it was assumed that the compilation "Corps of paintings by Rembrandt" will take about ten years, however, as we see, the plan was too optimistic. Scientists aim was simple: to explore all atributiruemye Rembrandt paintings by the most advanced scientific methods and to separate the scripts from the works of students and followers. Catalogue of 1935, authored by a leading expert on Rembrandt the first half of the twentieth century, Abraham Bredius (Abraham Bredius), consisted of 613 paintings, by the beginning of 1960 this figure began to seem too high, specialists: most knowledgeable people converged in the opinion that it is quite can be cut in half. Participants in the research project "Rembrandt" approached the matter with the utmost severity: it was expected that the final version of the catalog will include a minimum of 250 paintings.

output of the first three volumes (1982, 1986 and 1989) provoked a real crisis in rembrandtovedenii: the authenticity was denied over a hundred paintings, including works were owned by leading museums and private collectors. By early 1990, a rift in the group: Van de Wetering believed to carry the title of authentic worth more products. In 1993, the conflict reached its climax, and four other researchers announced their withdrawal from the team. Now, along with Van de Wetering, other experts are working.

Since the group is led by Van de Wetering, Rembrandt, the number of originals has increased significantly. In the news now do not write about "the fall from the pedestal of" masterpieces, deprived of their right to be called original, and the replenishment of the heritage of a great artist. Not so long ago, for example, were considered authentic self-portrait in 1628, sold in 2008 at auction Cirencester, as well as painting "Tobias and his wife" (1659), stored in the Rotterdam Museum Boijmans van and Beyningena.

According to the scientist, the originals can be ascribed to call about 320 master paintings, 240 of whom (plus 162 doubtful works) have been described in detail in the previous five volumes of "Shells". Remains approximately 80 works that were to enter into the last volume. Van de Wetering and his colleagues will prepare a separate directory that lists all original, previously unpublished in the "Corps" blade will provide more detailed descriptions. It is expected that work on this list will be completed by the end of 2011.

When Van de Wetering pictures in the catalogs are not grouped chronologically and thematically. The first three volumes contain information about the works of all genres that have emerged in the period from 1625 to 1642, while the fourth volume is devoted exclusively to self-portraits, while the fifth - small paintings on historical themes. In the sixth should have been listed were created after the 1642 portrait, Stude heads ("throne"), large-scale historical paintings and landscapes.

In 2009, most of the archives of the Research Project "Rembrandt" was transferred to the Netherlands Institute for Art History (The Hague). According to the website facilities, access to materials while closed. Says an independent expert Gary Schwartz (Gary Schwartz), «do not understand why researchers still can not use the archive, compiled with 1960 and a very expensive cost the taxpayers." The scientific community has enthusiastically greeted the publication of five volumes of the Corps, but too cumbersome catalog (4000 pages) and inconvenient to use, as well as the dizzyingly expensive (8000 dollars!)

Materials Research Project will be available within the database works by Rembrandt ( http://www.rembrandtdatabase.org ), is working on the Dutch Institute for Art History and The Hague Mauritshuis Museum (sponsor - Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, New York). Now we are collecting information on 19 works of the artist, located in The Hague, New York, London, Paris and Dresden.

Famous "controversial" paintings by Rembrandt

«A man in a gold helmet», Art Gallery in Berlin

This work has long been considered one of the best from the master but that II «Ward dropped her status - now the picture is exhibited as a creation of the artist's circle of Rembrandt.

« Polish rider », Frick Collection, New York New York

Former member of the Research Project Rembrandt Yeosu Brain (Josua Bruyn) denied the authenticity of the picture, but the experts of the museum his arguments did not convince. Later, Van de Wetering has classified it as a work of Rembrandt, some elements of which were appended by other artists.

«Self-Portrait in a Flat Hat», The Royal Collection, UK

In 1982, the curator of the Royal Collection, Christopher White (Christopher White) said that this self-portrait is an imitation, and dates from XVIII century. However, that V «Ward says that the picture is genuine.

« Laughing man », Mauritshuis, The Hague

Here, Van de Wetering again refutes the conclusion of his senior colleagues, decided that the work is not authentic (Vol. II). Two volumes later, the scientist has restored it to the status of the original Rembrandt.

material was prepared by Julia Maksimova, AI

Sources: theartnewspaper.com , artinvestment.ru