. Rembrandt : his life, his work, and his time. hich wasCoppenols age in the model mayhave been, the portraitis unquestionably one ofthe most remarkablepainted by Rembrandt atthis period. The placidhonest face that confrontsthe spectator is full of anaive satisfaction. This expression, and the gravity with which the writer cuts his pen, as ifprofoundly engrossed by his important occupation, are further proof,in our opinion, that the sitter was the famous writing-master, whosevanity was proverbial, and who, according to tradition, formed anearly friendship with Rembrandt. We are le
. Rembrandt : his life, his work, and his time. hich wasCoppenols age in the model mayhave been, the portraitis unquestionably one ofthe most remarkablepainted by Rembrandt atthis period. The placidhonest face that confrontsthe spectator is full of anaive satisfaction. This expression, and the gravity with which the writer cuts his pen, as ifprofoundly engrossed by his important occupation, are further proof,in our opinion, that the sitter was the famous writing-master, whosevanity was proverbial, and who, according to tradition, formed anearly friendship with Rembrandt. We are less inclined to vouch for another so-called portrait ofCoppenol in the Hermitage (No. SoS in the Catalogue), formerly inCount Briihls collection. The appellation is more modern thanthat of the Cassel picture, for in the selections from the Brlihlcollection, published at Dresden in 1754, this portrait bears no dis-tinctive title. There are also notable differences in the type. Theeyes are less round, and much more piercing ; the nose is PORTRAIT OF COPI-ENOU About 1632 (Cassel Museum) go REMBRANDT and the moustache thicker. The sitter is placed before a table, onwhich stands a small bureau, with a number of books and certainly holds a pen in his hand, but the characters on thehalf-written sheet before him are by no means choice specimens ofcallq-raphy. They have none of the complicated flourishes andembellishments with which a virtuoso such as Coppenol wouldhave adorned the page. The model, in our opinion, was simplysome honest merchant, busy over an account in the ledgersbefore him. Dr. Bode assigns the picture to the year 1631, andin fact discovered this date upon it. We have been unable todecipher more than the first three figures, but the monogram used,and the style of the execution, make the date a very probable one. Another portrait, bearing the same monogram, and the date1632, was formerly in Cardinal Feschs collection, and now belongsto Captain Holford
Size: 1434px × 1743px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1903
