Rembrandt Van Ryn: A Protestant Artist

Grace Evangelical Society ^ | 1992 | Arthur L. Farmstead

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Bob Jones University is what most would call a fundamentalist school. No one, however, should think that it has low academic standards or is anti-cultural. The heavy emphasis on producing Shakespeare’s plays, the gallery of great religious art, as well as an exact replica of the Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Abbey tell us otherwise.

One thing nearly all of us Protestants who have visited this beautiful and well-presented gallery cannot help noticing is the heavy preponderance, not only of Roman Catholic artists, but also of specifically Catholic themes.

When Bob Jones, Jr. was challenged with the question, “Why do you have so many Catholic pictures?,” his answer was, “There is not a lot of good Protestant painting…"

There are, however, great Protestant artists of Christian themes: Albrecht Durer, Holman Hunt, the Danish sculptor Thorvaldsen, to name a few. However, the greatest Protestant artist is surely Rembrandt van Ryn.

This Dutch genius left the world about 700 paintings, 300 etchings, and many drawings and sketches. His influence on 18th and 19th century art was great, and he is still considered one of the masters of the art world.

One of the truly Protestant features of Rembrandt’s religious works is that he used ordinary people, and frequently Jewish models from the Amsterdam ghetto, to pose for his Bible pictures.

Rembrandt, like Luther and Calvin,had great respect and fondness for Mary... Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, but especially Counter-Reformation art had transformed the “handmaiden of the Lord” ancilla Domini of Luke 1 into the “Queen of Heaven." -- Rembrandt’s portrayals of Mary are not glamorous or exalted, but humble, simple, and biblical.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Visser’t Hooft highlights this Protestant theology by quoting Luther:

Luther makes an unambiguous distinction between a theology of glory and the true theology of the cross. The theology of glory, he says, ‘prefers works to suffering, glory to the cross, power to weakness, wisdom to foolishness, and in one word evil to good.’ But the theology of the cross knows that ‘it is not enough for anybody nor does it help him that he recognizes God in his glory and majesty, unless he recognizes him in the abasement and ignominy of the cross.’ In analogy to this we may describe Rembrandt’s style as a ‘painting of the cross.’

"Paul in Prison"

The Holy Family with the Angels

The Return of the Prodigal Son

[chajin]

When the center of painting shifted to Paris in the 1700s, all subsequent styles, from Rococo to Romantic to pre-Raphaelite and beyond, were anti-Christian in philosophy. When photography and subsequent inventions such as motion pictures replaced painting as the main technology for capturing people, places, and events, there became little need for painting in general, except as deconstructionist abstraction. OTOH, there are a number of 1400s northern Renaissance painters (van Eyck, Christus, van der Weyden, etc.) whose works would be at home in any Lutheran church.

[onedoug]

When Bob Jones, Jr. was challenged with the question, “Why do you have so many Catholic pictures?,” his answer was, “There is not a lot of good Protestant painting…" ping.

[HarleyD]

Ah...I think I did a decent job on the living room.

[daniel1212]

Hard to find evangelical art. Kincaid will not do. Years ago we had this (color and header and footer added):

But this from 1982 is much used:

https://store.foi.org/p-465-the-bridge-1983-on.aspx

[daniel1212]

The 1982 picture is actually the one on the bottom (Full 28’’ poster $4.00 + shipping).

[daniel1212]

Rembrandt, like Luther and Calvin,had great respect and fondness for Mary... Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, but especially Counter-Reformation art had transformed the “handmaiden of the Lord” ancilla Domini of Luke 1 into the “Queen of Heaven." -- Rembrandt’s portrayals of Mary are not glamorous or exalted, but humble, simple, and biblical.

If one does not want to think of mortals "above that which is written," (1 Co. 4:6) and thus supports honoring Mary as the humble, pious holy, Spirit-filled women of God and devout mother of Jesus that she was/is, but does not venerate/worship the omnipotent ("by grace) The MARY of CATHOLICISM, and contends against such excess, then he can find himself charged with hating the "Mother of God" by cultic Catholics.

[imardmd1]

This needs some scaling for this venue:

img alt="" src="http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/WMAN.GOYE.jpg" border="0" height="420" width="580"

(then add opening and closing brackets and a couple of blank lines)

[metmom]

Majoring in the minors.

I guess I missed in scripture where we’re supposed to focus on religious artwork when the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

[Elsie]

There are, however, great Protestant artists of Christian themes: Albrecht Durer, Holman Hunt, the Danish sculptor Thorvaldsen, to name a few.

And then things get usurped...

Christus (statue) - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christus_(statue)

Christus is a 19th-century Carrara marble statue of the resurrected Jesus by Bertel Thorvaldsen. Since its completion in 1838, the statue has been located in the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark ... The inscription at the base of the sculpture reads "Kommer til mig" ("Come to me") with a reference to the Bible ...

‎Original sculpture · ‎Use by LDS Church · ‎Other replicas · ‎Image gallery

 

5 Things You Never Knew About the Christus Statue | LDS Living

www.ldsliving.com/5-Things-You-Never-Knew-About-the-Christus.../s/78222

The inspiration for Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus statue is unknown and could have come from his study of classical Greek sculptures, especially the work of Raphael. ... All five models are in Thorvaldsen's Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

[Elsie]

Rembrandt’s portrayals of Mary are not glamorous or exalted, but humble, simple, and biblical.

Which are quite UNlike the images conjured up in one's mind when they read the excesses claimed for her by the Roman Catholic Church.

---

 

 

 

 

---

---

 

The way it's written:

 

Galatians 4:4-5

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

 

 

 

The way Rome teaches it:

 

Galatians 4:4-5

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a....

 

Co-Redemptrix, 
Ark of the Covenant,

Beloved daughter of the Father,
Favoured Daughter of the Father,

Cause of Our Joy,

Cause of our Salvation ,
Comfort of the Afflicted,
Destroyer of Heresy,
Ever-virgin ,
Gate of Heaven,
God-bearer,

Great Mother,
Health of the Sick,

Heavenly Chariot,
Help of Christians,
Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of Virgins,
House of Gold,
Joy of the Just,
Majesty,
Mirror of Justice,
Morning Star,
Most Holy,
Mother Admirable,
Mother Inviolate,
Mother Most Amiable,
Mother Most Chaste,
Mother Most Pure,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of Divine Grace,
Mother of God,
Mother of Good Counsel,
Mother of Mercy,
Mother of Orphans,
Mother of Our Creator,
Mother of Our Redeemer,
Mother of Sorrows,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of the Poor,
Mother of the Word,

Mother of the Word Incarnate,
Mother Thrice Admirable,
Mother Undefiled,
Mystical Rose,
Nova Eva (the New Eve),
Our Lady of Compassion,
Our Lady of Confidence,
Our Lady of Victory,
Our Lady, Star of the Sea,
Our Mother of Perpetual Help,
Queen Assumed Into Heaven,
Queen Conceived Without Original Sin,
Queen of All Saints,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Families,
Queen of Heaven,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Peace,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,
Queen of Virgins,
Ravisher of Hearts,
Refuge of Sinners,

Resplendant car,
Seat of Wisdom,
She Who Shows the Way,
Singular Vessel of Devotion,
Spiritual Vessel,

Spouse of the Holy Spirit,

Sovereign Mistress of the Angels, 
Tabernacle of the Lord,

Temple of the Holy Spirit,
Temple of the Most Holy Trinity,
Throne of Wisdom,
Tower of David,
Tower of Ivory,
Treasure House of God's Graces,
Untier of Knots,
Vessel of Honor,
Virgin God-bearer,
Virgin Most Faithful,
Virgin Most Merciful,
Virgin Most Powerful,
Virgin Most Prudent,
Virgin Most Renowned,
Virgin Most Venerable

Virgin of virgins,                           born under the law, ⁵ to HELP redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship; sooner or later; and not spend TOO much time in Purgatory.

 

 

 

[Elsie]

Instead of a fixed value like ... width="580" … you can use percentages: width=58%

This change automatically scales the image to fit on any screen; whether cellphone, tablet or 19" monitor.

Use width=100% to fit image to full screen.

[Elsie]

The display of the replica "was intended to help visitors understand that Latter-day Saints (or Mormons) are Christians".^[2]

 

not quite...

 

 

The display of the replica "was intended to fool visitors into thinking that Latter-day Saints (or Mormons) are Christians".

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christus_(statue)#Use_by_LDS_Church

[Elsie]

 

 

 ...in a long sermon preached in the Tabernacle on April 9, 1852, he made this announcement:

"Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, saint and sinner. When our father Adam came into the Garden of Eden, 
he came into it with a CELESTIAL BODY, and brought Eve, ONE OF HIS WIVES, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. 
He is MICHAEL, the ARCHANGEL, the ANCIENT OF DAYS, about whom holy men have written and spoken.* 
HE is our FATHER and our GOD, AND THE ONLY GOD WITH WHOM 'WE' HAVE TO DO... Every man upon the earth, professing Christians 
or non-professing, must hear it and WILL KNOW IT SOONER OR LATER.... I could tell you much more about this; 
but were I to tell you the whole truth, blasphemy would be nothing to it, in the estimation of the superstitious 
and over righteous of mankind.... Jesus, our Elder Brother, was begotten in the flesh by the same character 
that was in the Garden of Eden, and who is our Father in heaven."**

 * Young, in a public discourse on October 23, 1853, declared that
he rejected the story of Adam's creation as "baby stories my mother
taught me when I was a child." But the Mormon Bible (2 Nephi ii. 18-22)
tells the story of Adam's fall.
   ** Journal of Discourses, VOL I, pp. 50, 51.

Title: The Story of the Mormons
       From the Date of their Origin to the Year 1901

Author: William Alexander Linn

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2443/2443-h/2443-h.htm     

[daniel1212]

img alt="" src="http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/WMAN.GOYE.jpg" border="0" height="420" width="580" (then add opening and closing brackets and a couple of blank lines)

Thanks. I think i will just upload it to Flickr and post it from there. But the image needs someone change it to modern models.

Some more oldies, by the grace of God (not under copyright as far as i know, and with color and or text added by me

).

[imardmd1]

Yeah. I hate scrolling. Although sometimes I use the combination Ctrl+(mouse scroller) or Ctrl+(up or down arrow) to temporarily expand or diminish the screen area to see details. On a tablet or smartphone you just use your fingers to do the walkin', eh?