Rembrandt as influencer

Rembrandt depicted a wide range of subjects in his etchings, even more so than in his paintings. He had a particular affinity for dramatic biblical scenes, marked by strong contrasts between light and dark. At the same time, he was drawn to the curious folk he would come across on the streets, such as beggars and charlatans. Other than that, he produced (self) portraits and landscapes, as well as studies of nudes, faces (especially of the wrinkled elderly) and animals. He depicted mythological tales, imaginative scenes, and even captured the occasional still life. His etchings sold readily, both in the Netherlands and abroad. Contemporaries drew inspiration from his work, and artists to this day continue to do so as well.

In creating his etchings, Rembrandt drew inspiration from the work of his contemporaries and earlier artists: Jan Lievens, Pieter Lastman, Lucas van Leyden, Esaias van de Velde, Hercules Segers, Jacques Callot, Peter Paul Rubens, Albrecht Dürer, Maarten van Heemskerck, Raphael, Titian, Antonio Tempesta and Annibale Carracci. He owned an extensive collection of artworks, consisting mainly of drawings and prints by artists he admired. At the time, it was common practice for artists to take inspiration from celebrated examples and even to attempt to improve on them.

Rembrandt’s prints themselves were in turn a source of inspiration for countless other artists. They admired the lifelike figures, the powerful interplay of light and dark, and above all, the freedom with which Rembrandt handled the medium. His work never ceased to captivate them. This was already the case in his own lifetime, and it has remained so to this day. The list of his followers is therefore virtually endless. Among those from Rembrandt’s own time were Adriaen van Ostade, Jan van Vliet, Rembrandt’s pupil Ferdinand Bol, and the Italians Giovanni Castiglione and Stefano della Bella. In the eighteenth century, Rembrandt attracted many followers in Germany and Austria, including Christian Dietrich, Georg Schmidt and Johann Nothnagel. His influence also spread to other countries, inspiring artists such as the Frenchman Jean-Pierre Norblin, the Englishman William Baillie, the Italian Giambattista Tiepolo and the Spaniard Francisco de Goya.

Nineteenth-century artists influenced by Rembrandt include Marius Bauer, Francis Seymour Haden, James Whistler and Alphonse Legros. For a number of French avant-garde artists, he became an icon. They rejected the classical rules of the French Académie, and were particularly drawn to Rembrandt’s use of chiaroscuro, his realism, and his urge to experiment. At times, his etchings were even copied, as in the case of his celebrated Faust, which also served as the model for a poster. Rembrandt’s influence can likewise be seen in the etching Landscape with Geese by Félix Bracquemond. The art of etching experienced a remarkable revival in France, exemplified by the work of the Impressionists, such as Edgar Degas and Édouard Manet.

Twentieth-century followers include Willem Witsen, Lovis Corinth and Pablo Picasso. But it goes without saying that many more names could be added to this list.