Piece Comment

Review of RN Documentary: "Copyists, Collectors and Curators" (Rembrandt's 21st century legacy)


Rembrandt's work has no doubt influenced many artists over the four centuries since his time; his mastery at understanding and capturing light, shadow, and subject to tell stories has fascinated photographers and cinematographers even.
This piece tells us three ways his work is still having an effect. First, we listen to an artist, Klarenbeeek, who is devoted to studying the master's work by re-creating his paintings - in the way pupils would have during Rembrandt's time - but not by duplicating them. Sitting in the same room, using the same limited color palette, and even employing the eye to hand measurement technique that the master had himself. Perhaps it's a method best suited to understand technique and method than the product.

The remaining two sections take us to collectors and inheritors of Rembrandt's works. You'll find that owning a Rembrandt may have nothing to do with the admiration one may have for the artist, but everything to do with the prestige and reputation it brings. People will say anything to sell or buy a Rembrandt. When you can't afford a painting, just convince yourself, or others, that Rembrandt was a engraver and drawer than a painter.

Maybe he was, I don't know. But to hear some of them talk about what the pieces are worth, or will be, reminded me of the Beanie Baby craze a few years ago when parents 'invested' in them to fund their little Timmy's college tuition and how they'd buy tag protectors and glass cases, whereas, all little Timmy cared for was the bear.

Now if you switched little Timmy with Klarenbeek and the parents with the modern day collectors and buyers, you'll understand where I'm going with the analogy. Regardless, the unpleasant contrast is captured in the piece, intentionally or unintentionally, to prove there exists such.