Shadowing rembrandt - Essay Example

Shadowing Rembrandt The article which is d Shadowing Rembrandt is dedicated to showing the connection between two famous artists Edgar Degas and Rembrandt. The author suggests that having seen a self portrait which was drawn by the latter, the former decided to experiment with a new approach to his technique.Later in the text it is pointed out that there is a considerable number of similarities between Degas and Rembrandt. An exhibition was set to present the connection that exists between these two artists.

The author argues that the time when Degas lived in Rome greatly contributed to his personal development as an artist as he was able to interact with the famous masters. It is probably because he did not chose a particular style of painting, Degas was so influenced by the manner in which Rembrandt painted. Thus, there are two works of art which resemble each other greatly: Self Portrait in a Soft Hat by Degas and Young Man in a Velvet Cap by Rembrandt. The article points out that the former drew a lot of self portraits since it allowed the artist to experiment with different techniques of strokes, shadow, light and similar aspects of the painting.

However, there is one peculiar detail about the way the two previously mentioned artists painted self portraits: Rembrandt put a heavy shadow on the face, while on the paintings that Degas created eyes are always clear and visible. This might be explained by the openness of the latter towards new ideas and further experimentation.