QUOTES FROM REMBRANDT’S CONTEMPORARIES THE FAILURES OF ART HISTORY
Aug 122010

I still await an answer to this letter

Nigel Konstam (director)

CENTRO D’ARTE VERROCCHIO

Via San Michele 16,

Casole d’Elsa, 53031, SI, Italy.

nkonstam@verrocchio.co.uk

tel 0039-0577-948312 fax –399

www.saveRembrandt.org.uk

to The Director of The National Gallery (London)

July 18th 2010

Dear Dr. Penny,

I am writing to draw your attention to an anomaly that needs to be cleared up surrounding the Rembrandt painting “The Adoration of the Shepherds” in The National Galleries collection. Once vetted by your scientific staff and accepted as genuine, now on show in your current exhibition of “Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries” where it is attributed to an unknown advanced student of Rembrandt’s.

I am aware that the RRP have found it wanting but I have proved, quite beyond reasonable doubt, that it is painted from the same group that Rembrandt set up in a barn for his accepted painting of the same subject in Munich. It is observed from the same viewpoint as he used for the Munich painting but viewed through a large mirror; probably made of polished pewter or copper (the copper giving a more Rembrandtesque warmth to the image).

This procedure may seem an odd thing for him to have done but I have shown in my article “Rembrandt’s Use of Models and Mirrors” (Burlington Feb ‘77) that this was a normal practice for him; when drawing. In fact, he used it nearly 100 times for drawings. This is the only time it can be proved in painting. When I say ‘proved’ the precise relationship between the two subjects, not only in the number of objects reflected but also the spaces between them remains constant, this precludes any other explanation. If you can imagine the task of reversing a complex three dimensional array and seeing it from a different point of view; you will immediately see that Prof Van der Wetering’s explanation as a student exercise, vastly underestimates the complexity of the interrelationships.

We could suggest that a student took over Rembrandt’s place but there is no student capable of such nearness to Rembrandt’s style, hence his“anonymity”. The much more impressionistic treatment of the subject is due to Rembrandt’s reaction to a less clear image in the reflector. This change of quality is also obvious in the drawings. See for example the comparison between the two versions of Isaac Blessing Jacob B1065 & B891 in my article. Both were drawn from the same group of models under identical lighting; yet B1065 drawn from the reflection is vaguer in treatment. Just what we find in the National Gallery’s version of The Adoration!

Though I live in Tuscany I would be pleased to come to London to give a talk or take part in a debate to clear up this rather crucial divergence of opinion. I enclose a DVD which shows I have plenty to say on the subject. The 5 min film on the Adorations is in the last chapter of the DVD or on Youtube. My saveRembrandt website (as above) with a blog on the Verrocchio site. You will find that my view of Rembrandt agrees with that of his contemporaries “He would not attempt a single brush-stroke without a living model before him, anything else was worthless in his eyes”, where the official view is that he actually taught his students to invent! Rembrandt was an observer not an inventor, this case of the Adorations proves that most forcefully.

Yours sincerely,

Nigel Konstam

2 Responses to “A LETTER TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY”

  1. nkonstam says:

    I have today received the expected non-response to my letter from an underling at the National Gallery. We will have to wait for the Technical Bulletin, vol.31 to see whether the Gallery is prepared to face reality or continue with the present nonsense. Meanwhile we can content ourselves with the thought that the insurance valuation of our “Adoration” must have dropped by about 15 million pounds.

  2. nkonstam says:

    I still await a reply to this letter. Poor Penny is on the horns of a dilemma – whether to betray his colleagues or put his head in the noose and join the long-standing conspiracy of denial.Best to stay mum!

Leave a Reply

(required)

(required)