Jeremiah laments the destruction of Jerusalem
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| Jeremiah laments the destruction of Jerusalem |
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| Rembrandt van Rijn , 1630 |
| oil on wood |
| 58 × 46 cm |
| Rijksmuseum Amsterdam , Amsterdam |
Jeremiah laments the destruction of Jerusalem is a picture by Rembrandt van Rijn that he painted in 1630. It has been in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam since 1939 .
title
The naming of the picture has no reference to historical documents. Other biblical figures have also been suggested for identifying the main character, including Lot after the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah . However, various details point to the prophet Jeremiah after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Chr. , According to the report of the book of Jeremiah ( Jer 39 EU and Jer 40.1 to 6 EU ).
description
Dominating the diagonal of the picture is a bearded old man half-lying at the feet of a mighty pillar, who, pondering sadly, rests his elbow on a mighty tome. The book bears the inscription BiBeL on the cut . In front of it is a silver bowl with golden vessels and pieces of jewelry. These are interpreted as the "gift" that Jeremiah received when he was released from Nebuzaradan , the bodyguard commander of Nebuchadnezzar ( Jer 40.5 EU ). Rembrandt chose his father as the model for the figure.
In the distance, a broken temple and the ruins of a city in flames are indicated, as well as figures who might want to save something or are fleeing. A person in heavy robes who presses both fists into the eye sockets is interpreted as the blinded king Zedekia (Zidkija) ( Jer 39.7 EU ).
The main character is not depicted in isolation, but rather integrated into the course of the destruction that evokes the grief. Nothing was valued higher in the psychologically refined art of the 17th century than the reproduction of the emotions of the characters in posture, gestures and facial expressions in a dramatic moment. In this way, the position of the individual figure becomes a history picture . The action is reflected in the demeanor and facial expressions of Jeremiah.
Provenance
The picture was owned by Jacob Alewijn (1714–1761, Amsterdam [?]) At the latest by 1761, was bequeathed to Margaretha Helena Graafland (1720–1766, Amsterdam [?]) In the same year and acquired by Fouquet on June 10, 1767 through anonymous sale at the Amsterdam auction house J. Posthumus and H. de Winter. In 1768 at the latest, it was owned by Carl Philip César (1725–1795, Unter den Linden 34, Berlin) and was purchased on July 1, 1778 by Alexander Alexandrovich Golovkin (1732–1781, Paris). By 1793 at the latest, it was owned by Alexander Sergeievich Stroganoff (1733-1811, Nevsky Prospekt 17, Saint Petersburg) under the title Le philosophe en méditation . At an unknown time it was bequeathed to Natalia Pavlovna (1796–1872) and Sergei Grigorievich Stroganoff (1794–1882, Saint Petersburg) and further to Sergei Alexandrovich Stroganoff (1852–1923, Saint Petersburg / Paris). Herman Rasch (Stockholm) bought it from him in 1922 for 300,000 francs , and from him in 1939 the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam for 150,000 guilders .
literature
- Michael Bockemühl : Rembrandt. Benedikt Taschen Verlag , Cologne 1991
- Bob Haak : Rembrandt - Life and Work. Cologne 1975, ISBN 3-7701-0887-6
