Rembrandt's most gifted pupil was supposedly Carel Fabritius. I have to use the word 'supposedly', as only fifteen of his delicate paintings are still with us. Fabritius died at only 32 years of age, due to a massive explosion of gunpowder in 1654, which destroyed a large part of his place of residence Delft. In this disaster, his studio also got severely damaged and most of his work was destroyed by fire.
That Fabritius was trained by Rembrandt is clearly visible in the typical brushwork, earth tones and golden highlights. But unlike most other of Rembrandt’s students, who remained faithful to the heavy chiaroscuro of their master, Fabritius went his own way. After he moved from Amsterdam, where Rembrandt ran his workshop, to Delft, he started to experiment with different ways of lighting. Instead of using great contrasts, he opted for a more even and also brighter illumination, thus creating a ‘golden glow’. Apart from his different handling of the light, Fabritius was also highly interested in complex spatial and illusionistic effects. It is widely accepted that such innovative elements, perfectly demonstrated in The Goldfinch, were of great influence on his younger colleagues from Delft, Johannes Vermeer and Pieter de Hooch.
The Goldfinch is a typical trompe l’oeil: when hung on a plastered wall similar to the one depicted in the painting, the deceived eye would presume the existence of a real goldfinch. Back then, gold finches were often held as house pets, chained and attached to a perch. The perspective reveals that the panel was meant to hang high, possibly in a niche. One theory goes that Fabritius’ charming painting was not meant to embellish an interior, but served as a house sign for a wealthy family called De Putter, the Dutch designation for goldfinch. They would welcome their visitors with this appropriate illusionistic surprise.
(text Maarten Levendig)
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