Answers and Questions About Rembrandt and Van Gogh

Answer the questions provided about both artists as you watch the documentaries. Each question is worth 10pts each and this overall section is worth 50pts.

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• Artist 1: Rembrandt van Rijn
• Artist 2: Vincent Van Gogh

1. Describe the personality traits for each artist: (10pts)

(Get to know your artist. How do they behave in society? What is their emotional state - stable/unstable? What qualities do they have as a person?)

Artist 1: Rembrandt van Rijn was a bold and talented artist who risked his carrier to address controversial subjects in his art. The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis reveals how people were butchered during wars in the Dutch society. The portraits show how women and children suffered during times of war.

Artist 2: Vincent van Gogh was a thoughtful artist who painted portraits that carried coded ideas. Wheatfield with Crow is considered to be one of his most powerful pieces of art as it contains a lot of information. Despite the artist's great work he turned out to be emotionally unstable due to mental illness. The condition eventually led him to commit suicide at the age of 39.

2. Describe each artist's choice of mediums, visual elements, and principles of design: (10pts)

(How does each artist paints or sculpts? What materials do they use? How large or small are their artworks? Are there any visual elements or principles of design that are important to the artist?)

Artist 1: Rembrandt van Rijn used expressed his art through printmaking, painting, and drawing. Many scholars consider him as one of the best visual artists as his art provided clear ideas touches on the society. The conspiracy of Claudius of Civilis contains drawings that reveal the history of the Dutch by portraying them as barbarians. The artist used a brush and paint to express his ideas. The paintings were big.

Artist 2: Spiritual and emotional experiences influenced Vincent Van Gogh works Like Rembrandt van Rijn, he was a visual artist who used drawings and painting to express his messages. He painted huge landscapes portraits like the Wheatfield of Crow.

3. Describe the content and style that was preferred by each artist: (10pts)

(What is the *meaning behind their artworks? What are the ideas conveyed in their art? What is the "why" behind their artwork?)

Artist 1: Rembrandt van Rijn works was inspired by the real-life issues that people in the society went through. He fearlessly uses his talent to show a section of people suffered during times of war. The conspiracy of Claudius Civilis carries the artist's thought about his society.

Artist 2: on the other hand, Vincent van Gogh's work was inspired by his spiritual experience. The artist's unstable emotions affected his art. For instance, some scholars think the Wheatfield Crow portrait represents Vincent's turbulence in his life.

4. Cite 3 artworks from the documentary of each artist's work. Reference the title of the artworks and describe all the artworks cited: (10pts)

Artist 1 Artworks:

The conspiracy of Claudius Civilis (1662)

In this artwork, Rembrandt painted how people suffered in wars hence revealing the wild nature of the Dutch. The Dutch authorities disliked the artist's work and criticized him.

The hundred guiders print

The artwork was received well among the Christian community as it contained portraits which reflected biblical teaching.

Self-portrait with two circles (1665)

This artwork is one those that fetched the artist a grand fortune. It contains self-portraits of famous business persons. The most striking thing about the artwork is that it the images of the people portray a state of meditation. No wonder some scholars refer to Rembrandt as a philosopher meditation.

Artist#2 Artworks:

Wheatfield with Crows (1890)

Many critics believe that this was Vincent's most excellent work and was among the last of his work. The painting portrays the turbulence in the artist's life as he struggled with mental illness.

Van Gogh self-portrait (1889)

The portrait shows the image of the artist's pausing with his eyes gazing far away. He saw himself as a prophet and a person who lives from his mind.

The church at Auvers (1890)

Vincent van Gogh as a religious person painted pieces of art that resonated with his faith. Currently, this piece of work is at a museum in Paris.

5. Describe what each artist has in common vs. how each artist is different: (10pts)

Commonality: Both them were the best visual artists of their time. They could draw portraits that expressed grave concerns about human experiences. They all embraced three media namely painting, drawing and printmaking.

Differences: unlike Vincent, Rembrandt was smart at knowing how to make a fortune from his talent. He knew what the rich needed and produced precisely that. Vincent struggled financially due to not being keen on the dynamics of the market during his time. He thus sold only one portrait while alive.

Part 2 :( 50pts)

[Artwork by Artist 1]

Name: Rembrandt

Title: The conspiracy of Claudius Civilis

Medium: Oil and canvas

Date: 1662

[Artwork by Artist 2]

Name: Vincent van Gogh

Title: Wheatfield with Cross

Medium: Paint

Date: 1890

Rembrandt Has More Value to the Society That Gogh

Rembrandt and Gogh's lives are separated by nearly two centuries. The former lived in the 17th century while the latter lived in the 19th century. Despite the fact that they lived in different periods, they all made significant contributions to the world of art. To date, most of the work they did is still relevant and is displayed in various museums around the globe. Although both the artists contributed to the art industry, they work by Rembrandt mainly; the conspiracy of Claudius Civilis is more relevant to the issues affecting the society today than Gogh's work. However, this sentiment does not mean that Vincent van Gogh's work does not touch on issues that affect the community. Of course, they do but, Rembrandt faced the problem more directly than Gogh. Therefore, Rembrandt has more value to the society than Gogh.

There are no pressing issues that affect the society than oppression of the less advantaged by the rich. Artists who respond to persecution in the nation by showing it in their work often possess more value to the society than those who ignore the problems in their community. Rembrandt risked his career and addressed the issue of warfare that led to many suffering among the people. He painted paintings showing ow women and children suffered during the war. Those in power did not like these paintings and criticized him for depicting them as barbaric.

Again, although Gogh was a preacher at some point in his life, Rembrandt painted more pieces of art that touched on the biblical teachings. This move was to emphasize the morality of the society and ensure that people coexist well with one another. These pieces of art are enshrined in the hundred guiders print.

In summary, the reason why Rembrandt appears to have more value in the society today than Gogh is the fact he was more sensitive to the issues that affected the people that Gogh. He fearlessly portrayed the elite class who propagated wars as barbarians. On the other hand, Gogh was more fascinated with the beauty of nature and landscapes.