The Arthall Gallery in Gozo is hosting Jacques Roland in a talk on Rembrandt’s drawings, to which the public is invited to attend.
The gallery said that ”by examining Rembrandt’s drawings, we aim to shed light on his methods of study and work and to inspire those studying or practising drawing, etching, and other forms of artistic creation.”
In his documentary Le mystère Picasso (1955), Henri-Georges Clouzot attempts to uncover the creative process by filming Pablo Picasso as he draws and paints. He seeks to answer the following question: what happens in a creator’s brain when they are working?
There are enough drawings and etchings by Rembrandt to be able to grasp his personality, his method of study, and his way of approaching a subject. Rembrandt had a very precise working method. Gifted with extraordinary imagination and memory, he could explore a theme for several years without ever showing the slightest weariness. His sense of humour, capacity for self-mockery, and provocative spirit were integral parts of his personality.
A dedicated worker but, above all, a tireless researcher, he knew how to use these qualities to endure financial hardship, the jealousy of fellow painters in Amsterdam, and the hostility of many fellow citizens after his bankruptcy and the sale of his house and printing press in 1658.
For more than ten years, until his death in 1669, he steadfastly pursued his research in drawing, etching, and painting.
The gallery went on to say that ”Rembrandt was, above all, a free man, and we will demonstrate how this freedom is reflected in his lines and in the way he constructed his studies. A devoted researcher, he constantly developed his drawing, etching, and painting techniques, paying particular attention to the perception and representation of volume.
”All his research had a single purpose: to convey the emotions of the people, animals, scenes, and landscapes he depicted. We aim to study how this effort to transmit emotions is manifested in the construction of his work. Rembrandt’s strong personality permeates each of his creations, and careful observation allows us to discover and understand it better.
”Finally, it should be noted that Rembrandt’s works possess a universal and timeless quality, giving them a modernity that transcends eras.”
Jacques Roland is a specialist, researcher, and educator in French and European art, with a particular focus on the technical and emotional qualities of Rembrandt van Rijn’s drawings, etchings, and paintings.
He runs the educational platform Rembrandt.ovh and leads specialised art-history lectures and workshops, including collaborations with institutions such as the historic Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. He is also a regular visitor to Gozo, an island he loves dearly.
The talk on Rembrandt’s drawings will be held next Friday, the 30th of October, starting at 7.30pm.
The venue is Arthall [1]: 8, triq Agius de Soldanis, Victoria, Gozo.
Photos: Arthall Gozo