Rembrandt and His Art Depicting Black People
The artist was quietly on the side of equality and tolerance
Rembrandt was born in 1606 in the Netherlands and is considered one of the most important artist in the history of art.
His paintings were in direct contrast with the baroque style that dominated Europe.
His self portraits in particular attracted attention as they showed him without an ounce of vanity.
People were mesmerised by the humility and simplicity that shone through his art. The painting that illustrates this article emphasises this idea.
He is wearing an ordinary cap and simple clothes that make him look like a gentle wise man.
I chose to show two of his paintings depicting black people to prove a point. There are too many illustrations from the 17th Century showing black people as enslaved individuals or mere props.
Rembrandt was not an activist or fighting against slavery, in his paintings he chose to depicts black people as human.
They were just like any of his other portraits as the master loved asking people from his town to pose for him.
In Jodenbreestraat, there were many immigrants from Portugal, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Scandinavia, Africa and the…
