My mother once told me that when she saw Rembrandt’s prints, she wanted to become a printmaker. She would talk rapturously about drypoint and other printmaking techniques. When I was in Amsterdam this spring, I enjoyed seeing the originals of this printmaking master who influenced my mother to dedicate her artistic career to printmaking.
This print captivated me because when you look at it closely you can see all the little lines and hash marks he used to make the dark areas and realize they were all scratched into a copper plate. My mother also spent time explaining to me the importance of knowing the light source when you are drawing and of course all the masters portray light source perfectly, but this print in particular impressed me because of the precision in showing where the light would fall and reflect and then rendering that by scratching lines into copper!
This next one is gorgeous in person and I apologize for the blurriness. I have to work harder at getting steady shots in museums without flash. This room wasn’t busy so I could have used a tripod.
Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn
etching drypoint, and burin, 1643
This is the largest landscape that Rembrandt ever etched and the most painterly in execution. The low-lying sun, which shines from the right, enhances the dramatic effect, just like the storm dissipating at the left. The location is unclear, but may be somewhere along the Zuiderzee.
When I was between jobs in San Francisco, my mom told me about a part time job at Fort Mason Printmakers. I applied and landed the job so I was able to work there for about a half year. This time gave me a chance to hang out with her and a bunch of artists, the printmakers, painters, and ceramicists, which I loved.
Here is a picture of the printmaking room at Fort Mason:
The day at the Rijksmuseum did me in. At the end of the day, I noticed pain in my hip that turned into a big case of tendinitis that laid me up for the rest of the stay. Being confined to the houseboat was nice, though, as I could look straight out at the canal from the bed while I spent a contemplative time drawing and painting on my Bamboo (a digital art pad). During this time, my mother passed away. I was grateful to feel so connected to her and felt that she was there with me enjoying Rembrandt.
Here are some posts about my mom:
Where it all Began (Mom’s in the first picture. Dad too.)
Beauty at the Beauty Salon (My mom is in the last photo, in the mirror, just a couple months before she passed away.)
Flowers for my mom: Keukenhof Gardens May 2013 series, 1 (I started my Keukenhof Gardens series for her.)
Yesterday, I planted some flowers on her grave:
Nicci Carrera 