Painting in Context: Rembrandt, Belshazzar’s Feast
- Each presentation starts with the basic information on the painting such as its location in a museum or a gallery, the map of the location of the scene if applicable, and other pertinent details such as the history of the painting and the story depicted by the painter.
- Next, you find slides describing the painting technique of the artist and, if applicable, information on the scientific investigation of the artwork.
- The majority of the slides shows a detailed pigment analysis of the painting containing detailed views of different areas of the artwork and the pigments employed by the painter.
The story of this Baroque painting has its origin in the Old Testament in the Book of Daniel. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar looted the Temple in Jerusalem and brought the sacred vessels to Babylon. His son Belshazzar used these sacred vessels for a great feast.
In general, it can be stated that Rembrandt’s use of color in this painting is exceptional regarding the variety of pigments and also the technique in their use.
In general, it can be stated that Rembrandt’s use of color in this painting is exceptional regarding the variety of pigments and also the technique in their use.
The dominant color in this painting is yellow and Rembrandt employed pure lead-tin-yellow to paint Belshazzar’s rich cloak and the writing on the wall.
