E-text prepared by Carl Hudkins, Chrome, David Garcia,
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HEAD OF REMBRANDT
REMBRANDT
AND HIS WORKS:
COMPRISING
A SHORT ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE;
WITH A CRITICAL EXAMINATION INTOHIS PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF DESIGN, LIGHT, SHADE, AND COLOUR.
ILLUSTRATED BY
Examples from the Etchings of Rembrandt.
BY
JOHN BURNET, F.R.S.
AUTHOR OF "PRACTICAL HINTS ON PAINTING."
LONDON:
DAVID BOGUE, 86, FLEET STREET.
MDCCCXLIX.
TO
THE EARL OF ELLESMERE,
THE ENLIGHTENED PATRON OF ART AND LITERATURE,
THIS WORK
IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED,
BY HIS OBLIGED, HUMBLE SERVANT,
JOHN BURNET.
PREFACE.
The high estimation in which I have ever held the works of Rembrandthas been greatly increased by my going through this examination of hisvarious excellencies, and such will ever be the case when the emanationsof genius are investigated; like the lustre of precious stones, theirluminous colour shines from the centre, not from the surface. With sucha mine of rich ore as the works of Rembrandt contain, it is necessaryto apologise for the paucity of examples offered, for in a work of thiskind I have been obliged to confine myself to a certain brevity anda limited number of illustrations; still I must do my publisher thejustice to say, he has not grudged any expense that would be the meansof doing credit to the great artist, the enlightened patron, or myown reputation. Another circumstance has been elicited in preparingthis work for publication—the great interest that all have shown inthis humble attempt to make Rembrandt and his works more generallyappreciated. His genius and productions seem to be congenial to theEnglish taste. As a colourist he will ultimately lay the foundation ofthe British School of Painting, and prove the justice of Du Fresnoy'slines—
"He who colours well must colour bright;
Think not that praise to gain by sickly white."
Had it been possible, I would have given some examples of his colour aswell as of his chiaro-scuro; but I found his great charm consists morein the[vi] tone of his colouring than its arrangement. I have mentioned inthe body of the work that Sir Joshua, certainly the greatest master ofcolour we have yet had in England, frequently speaks ambiguously of