Dear all,
Thank you for your responses to “Mrs Tollemache as Miranda”. This week review a famous painting: Rembrandt’s self-portrait. As always work through the Powerpoint below and then share your thoughts, writing and art with us below. It would be great to see some of your self-portraits.
Dear diary,
It is 1663 and sadly, my darling wife has died and this painting is my only hope.I have been working day and night on it!The circles are helping to fill the backround. I’m very worried about the money so I am relying on this painting.A LOT!
Many thanks for your entry Emilia.
Why do you think Rembrandt added the circles to his painting?
Dear Diary
It is 1663 my dear wife has passed and I have given my money to my son and am in great debt. In this picture the 2 circles represent my life one circle represents my wife and the other my son and the space in-between represents our love. I am sitting here thinking about how I have lost my wife and my son has all my money and but that is not the way to do it. I have to think positive I have to be determined and I am determined to get back on my feet and let the memory of my dear wife go. That is why this portrait is everything.
Thank you for your diary entry Eva.
that was soo cool Michael u should make loooaaads of pictures
Thank you.
Dear diary,
it is 1663 I feel like there’s no reason for me to be living I used be so happy and I knew there was a reason for me to be in this world.The reason is … it’s because my wife passed away. My life is a blur and my brain is all misty and old.Guide me to the place I belong.My son is drifting away from me he is now livening his own life that won’t include me.Me painting keeps me alive it pulls out what I do best.Give my son a life that he’ll make the most of and give him a wife that was as lovely as mine.Take me to the hevens were I can see my wife.
Many thanks Reuben. I like the way you’ve included details from Rembrandt’s life in your account.
dear diary,
I know I look dull it’s because my wife has passed why be happy. I gave my money to my son. There is nothing more I am so sad about my wife passing away. How can I look after my son my wife dose that.
many thanks
dear dairy
its 1663.I am in my sorrrows.My wife passed away. there is no point my life having meaning .my painting life is ruined with out her jugment i can’t bear it.my newest painting was a master piece but now,its nothing but my past
dear diary, today was stressful but wonderful day.i finally finished my magnificent master piece.it is a detailed self portrait. it will be the best painting of 1663.i just hope it looks as wonderful as it does to me in my eyes as other peoples eyes.
written by rembrant
It is 1663, and my wife has passed away, and my life is so sad, I have left all my money to my son, an there is no point in me living as I’m in great debt. In the picture, the two circles represent me, and my son and my wife in the other, and how close I feel to them.
Thank you for your diary entry Theo.
Dear diary,
It’s 1663 and I’m either closed up in my house or in my studio. One thing that doesn’t make me sad is painting. It’s only me and my paintbrush, no help, no one interfering, just silence. My money is running low and my wife has started a new life in heaven. I feel so sad and lonely. Before you know it, I’m going to make my journey to heaven. I am sure by then, that my paintings will be very well known and valued again.
Thank you Olivia. Was Rembrandt’s work highly valued at the time of his death?
Dear Diary,
It is May 1663 and I am working on a new self portrait to hopefully earn some money. It has been a stressful time because I have been in great dept.Sadly my wife has passed away and my son has a new life. Working on my art is my only joy and hope. I have also started a new masterpiece which currently is my background on this self portrait. I haven’t gotten very far yet, there are only two circle’s so far. But I feel like it will be a very special painting. With this canvas in the background I want people to still think I am a strong and productive painter with more work to come.
I like the way you’ve incorporated details from the painting Melina.
Dear Diary,
It’s 1663,
I feel so alone since my wife died. My house is gone what else have I got in this world apart from my son?
I can forget my problems when I paint, it’s like I escape from myself. I hope people see and like my painting, i want others to see my efforts and how much i love to paint and to be remembered for years after I’m gone.
Many thanks Elijah.
Dear Diary,
It’s 1663 and I’m in desperate need of money. Unfortunately, my wife passed away and I still can’t get over it. My son who is slowly drifting away from me, now is taken to a life away from me. For the first time ever i feel old, old and slow. As i’m in debt, I have given paintings and artefacts away but it’s no use. My paintings are rushed so i fill in the empty space to compensate for my lack of time.
Many thanks for sharing your diary entry Dash.
Dear diary,
It is 1663 and I wish I was dead right now because, tragically , my darling wife has just passed away. I am very ‘down in the dumps’ and this painting is all of my hope . As this painting is my only reminder of her now, I am dedicating this painting to her. My 57 year old self is starting to wither and I hope, just hope, this painting will sell and save my life. My 3 kids are leading a happy life now and I cannot bring my self to tell them this news. God, please read this now and chose what is best for me and my kids. I will now write my will and hope for the best. But all I want to do is join my wife in heaven. My heart full of grief and I cannot write anymore.
Thank you Arun. Rembrandt certainly experienced a sense of despair at stages in his career.
Dear diary,
it is 1663 my lovely wife has just died, and I’m relying on this only painting to help
me get over my grief. I need money or I will starve. Oh I feel so sad. My son needs my house because I’m in debt. I would rather die and be reunited with my wife than to live this horrible life. Oh what a horrible life.
Dear diary ,
It is 1663 I am so sad my wife has died , now it is just me and my son .
I have to give my house to my son . It is the first time in 57 years that I have had a downfall on money . I think this could my last painting. I have painted 41 .
I have had to sell all my paintings and and objects . I want to die I cant do this any longer
I can join my wife in heaven
Many thanks for your diary entry Rory.
Dear diary,
1663 I hope this painting will be my greatest of all because my life looks like its coming to an end. I still have loads of paintings left in me. My wife has passed away and I’m so lonely here on my own. I’m so determined to do as many paintings as possible. However the circles in the background were resembling a map of my house
Dear diary,
Finally, I have finished this painting, it’s the only thing I have left now because my wife is dead and my son has all my money. My son has also gone away and now I’m really miserable, so this painting is the only reason I keep living. The two circles represent my life and my wife’s life. There is a gap between the circles because she has died and we are no longer together.
Dear diary,
It is 1665 and i have a plane load of debt to pay. My wife died when i was 29 about 34 years ago and since then it was just me and my son. I’m now a homeless person and my son now has to take my lovely big house. I fear he might end up like me, a great painter but with lots of debt. I hope he won’t be alone in his life. Poor and homeless is what I am. This self portrait might be my only painting I can keep. All my other stuff was sold for me to live on
1663, Amsterdam
Dear diary,
I work for enough money to survive but only just.
I am trying to show myself as successful, but my portraits looks stern.
I need more time to get the face as I would like it to be. In such times of trouble, I miss
Hendrickje and her comfort. I fear that Titus will die also, before me.
I think people won’t know what I mean when I show them the circles in my portrait. Let it remain a mystery.
R.
Thank you Thomas. I like your use of detail to create an authentic diary entry.
Dear Diary,
It is 1663 and I have finally finished my self-portrait after 2 long weeks. My beautiful wife died today and I wish I had too. This painting is my last hope to get any money. I am relying fully on it. If I dont get anything from this then I wont have enough to buy me and my son food and water. I drew 2 perfect circles in the background so that people like the painting more and pay more money for it. I tried so hard to get this painting right that if it doesnt earn me any money I will stop painting forever.
May the 4th, 1663.
Dear Diary, I’ve just finished my painting. I think it looks quite good, it’s surprising how detailed it looks. I personally think the beard is the best part of it. It took 5 years to finish this self portrait, I was a little bored when I was painting myself. I painting myself in the mirror, I dabbed the paint on the canvas then I marked a sharp thing on the canvas to put in some detail while the paint was still wet. I have no money now and cannot afford a new canvas. Boo hoo hoo.
Thank you Edward. Your ending made me smile.
Dear diary , what life! I’ve just given my house to my son since I am badly in debt my wife is dead and my life depends on a single canvas I’ve barely got enough to live. I have decided to add to perfect circles in the background to maybe increase the price since they awfully hard and maybe they alone could bale me out of debt
Wish me luck
Rembrandt
10th May 1663
Dear Diary,
I have put the finishing touches on my painting. I’m very proud of it, it is perfect. At the moment not everything is perfect though you see my darling wife died recently and every time I go into our house it feels lonely and dark in there. Despite being a master painter, painting can’t always pay the bills; The debtors are soon going to come and take our house so I gave it to my son.
I know my life is going to end soon as well but I have achieved everything I have ever wanted to achieve and I am a master painter now. I can draw perfect circles and paint amazing portraits.
1)they are both boys
2)one is looking strait into the painting and one is looking sideways into the pianting
3)because he wonted his normal look maybe because most people get dressed up
4)light is a very important thing paintings i think that he used the light to get the shape of his face other wise he would look lathe used the circles because its like a spotlight from his window some artists cheat in drawing perfect circles they draw a plus and fill the outline with curves
diary
i felled relived ofter this months day of work and its finneshed its present for my wife in heaven
Dear diary,
it is 1663 and iv just finished my painting im quite proud of it . my wife died today and the painting is the last thing i have. the painting took ages. i put the circles in the background because its meant to be light.
Dear Diary,
today I was very hopeful for my self portrait as it is nearly finished and already looks wonderful. However, my loneliness grows stronger and ever since Saskia passed away I’ve been more determined to paint. As I grow older my delicacy and control with my brush has been worn out and i have to squint to see my smaller brush strokes. It frustrates me greatly to have my senses not as quick as they were and getting the lighting just right was a laborious task. When I look in the mirror I now see an old man which reminds me that I do not have the joys and privileges of being young and feeling invincible and that I do not have long left in my life. But I feel it is still necessary to finish my painting and maybe tomorrow I will. I am determined to beat old age before it beats me.
Dear Diary,
It has been a long and painful week making my last piece.I wish my long gone wife was here to see it.I just hope that one day i will see her once again.I hope that she can see what these perfect circles mean.
Monday 5th November
1663
Dear Diary,
I have not quite finished my new self-portrait and I am quite proud of it although one of the circles is a mistake caused by myself. One day, when I was having dinner, I couldn’t find a placemat so I put, what I thought at the time was a blank street of paper under my plate , and eat. It turned out to be my not-nearly-finished self-portrait. When I had completed the outline, I added the other circle.
See you tomorrow,
Rembrandt
1663
Dear Diary,
Sometimes I don’t know what to do with my life. I am a widower in debt. I don’t want to pass my money problems over to my son, although I fear I may have to. A circle means a great artist. I like to think I’m an amazing artist, so I painted two circles. I hope that when I look at my portrait, I will see what I once was. A fine man with furs and luxuries. Not what I am now, a lonely old man. I have compared my portrait with my other portrait from 1628. Oh, how much things have changed since then. I’m lonely and penniless, my wife dead and my bills due. What else shall I do with my life? Who knows?
Rembrandt.
Thank you Matilda. You capture the difficulties Rembrandt faced towards the end of his life.
4/5/1663
Dear Diary,
I have had a tough day. This painting is hard but I think i have done some good work today. Ever since my wife died I have bean very lonely and and quite sad, so i have bean making another self portrait. I wonder if people will like my portrait or /if people won’t like it. Maybe no one will ever see it.
11th may 1663
Dear diary,
Today has been very tiring for me because i have finally finished my self-portrait. I am very proud of it.I think it might be the best one i have ever painted. The two circles mean my relationship with my wife that has past away and one of them is my love for her and the other is her love for me.Tomorrow i will be planning for my next painting.
One day i will be able to meet my wife again and i hope this painting will be an inspiration to the people of the future.
Thank you Katie. It’s very interesting to consider the significance of the circles. As you can see you and your peers have many different ideas.
Dear Diary,
I feel usless and pathetic.My most beloved wife had pass away and if I will gone my son will be in debt.I painted myself again and added two perfect circles in the backround to put mystery in the near future and made me more special than the others. I feel like art is my only friend in this circle, cruel world that we live in. I hope to see you again my good friend and I hope to paint till the world end.
Dear Diary,
My wife has died and my son has taken my house now in exchange for my debts. I am very depressed. I try to hide my sadness in my paintings. I feel like when i finish, it will be one of the best paintings in history. The circles in my painting will represent my sadness and the story of my life.
I am working day and night, nothing will stop me except my own death. The doctors say i only have 4 years left, i’m going to make them count by finishing my paintings.
Thank you Leon. It’s always interesting considering what the circles represent.
11 May 1663
Dear Diary,
Today was one of the best days of my year! I finished a self portrait that I have been working on, where I am holding my brushes. I hope it will pay off my debt when I sell it, letting me keep the house that holds so many memories.
This morning, I was struggling to finish the difficult background, consisting of 2 perfect circles. The memory of Saskia was always at the back of my mind, distracting me. I would have been so happy if she had lived to see the source of my current delight.
This diary has helped me so much since her passing…. I would probably still be mourning if I hadn’t this.
Rembrandt
Thank you Anna. Could you find a painting of Saskia?
Dear Diary,
I feel useless and pathetic.My most beloved wife had pass away and if I will gone, my son will be in debt forever. I painted myself again and added two perfect circles in the background to put mystery in the near future and made me more special than the others.I feel like art is my only friend in this circle,cruel world that we live in. I hope to see you soon again my friend and I hope to paint till the world end.
May 1663
Dear Diary,
I am writing this with a terrible headache, for I know that my life will be done with soon. It will be a matter of time before I run out of money, and be forced to live on the streets I work on my final painting day and night, without rest. I would like to eat and sleep, but there is simply no point. This is my very last chance to make money.
My hands tremble as I move my paintbrush across the canvas. Endless circles fill my head, turning and turning. They are the symbol of life; they go on and on and on. I paint them all over my background, for they are the only things that keep me going. I feel like I am sleeping, although I am wide awake. The only things that cross my mind are the circles.
I paint and paint, forgetting about everyone; my only focus is the canvas right in front of me. All of my friends are now either dead or far, far away.
Alright diary, I hope I will be able to see you next week…
Hi Poppy, I like the balance in your diary. It is informative but also gives us an insight into Rembrandt’s emotions.
DEAR DIARY
today my wife died I am now painting not for myself but so that I can provide for my son the last ray of sun in the storm that is my life but still storms pass perhaps I will make it through. my wife did not believe in perfection she said it was impossible but she was perfect which is why I have drawn a circle as close to perfect as I can. to represent her
Rembrandt
Thank you Rufus. I like the link between the perfection of a circle and his wife.
The similarities are they both have curly hair, they are both looking at the viewer of the painting and the background is plain.
The differences are in one of them he is younger and turned to the side and is close up, also he is not wearing a hat, he is wearing a navy top. One is older and is wearing robes, he has a paint brush and palette in his hand and we see more of his body. There are two circles behind him. Also he has a hat on.
One word for each person: young / old
In the 1665 portrait he painted himself that way maybe because he felt that way at the time.
The light is hitting his face and the maybe the circles are just imprints in the wall.
Drawing a perfect circle is quite hard, maybe he used a compass?
Popular artists today are Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Antony Gormley.
I have written the dairy entry in my school book.
Many thanks for your response Lucia.
Dear Diary
I love my wife but she died just a week ago i miss her so much but sometimes i can make pictures of myself now thats why today i am painting myself
Thank you Angelica. Rembrandt’s wife’s death effected him deeply.
Dear Diary,
It is 1663 my dear wife has passed and I have given my money to my son and am in great debt. In this picture the 2 circles represent my life one circle represents my wife and the other my son and the space in-between represents our love. I am sitting here thinking about how I have lost my wife and my son has all my money and but that is not the way to do it. I have to think positive I have to be determined and I am determined to get back on my feet and let the memory of my dear wife go. That is why this portrait is everything.
Today is the saddest day of my life. I hate 1663 because my dear wife died in thick air. Now there is no point living because we had such happy times together.I am going to paint a beautiful portrait of myself and there is going to be two circles in the backround
which will represent sadness and happiness.