Rembrandt's Reading: The Artist's Bookshelf of Ancient Poetry and History

by Amy Golahny

Though Rembrandt's study of the Bible has long been recognized, his interest in secular literature has been relatively neglected. In this volume, Amy Golahny uses a 1656 inventory to reconstruct Rembrandt's library, discovering anew how his reading of history contributed to his creative process. In the end, Golahny places Rembrandt in the learned vernacular culture of seventeenth-century Holland, painting a picture of a pragmatic reader whose attention to historical texts strengthened his rivalry with Rubens for visual drama and narrative erudition.

Genres: Art

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Areas of Interest
Rembrandt; Renaissance, Baroque and Contemporary Art; interaction between the East and West; Word/Image studies; History of Printmaking

Ph.D. Columbia University: M.A. Williams College-Clark Art Institute; B.A. magna cum laude Brandeis University

Amy Golahny teaches Art in the Dark at Lycoming College: from survey to specialized courses to the senior seminar. She has published several books and several dozen articles, mostly on and around Rembrandt. Currently, she is President of the international organization Historians of Netherlandish Art; and she served as president of the sister organization that promotes Dutch culture in the United States, the American Association for Netherlandic Studies. Her research and publications have been supported by grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, CASVA at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, Lycoming College and other agencies. Golahny participates in national and international conferences, and regularly give special lectures on her research.