Rembrandt is indisputably the greatest artist of the seventeenth century; and many would say the greatest artist of all time. His mastery of composition; paint; and linemdash;he was a superlative etchermdash;over a lifetimersquo;s work has rarely been emulated; let alone surpassed. At a time when other artists specialized; his themes covered history; pastoral and Biblical scenes; group paintings; and most celebrated of all; portraits. Although excruciately little is known about Rembrandtrsquo;s personal thoughts and musingsmdash;he had no contemporary biographer and left no letters or diarymdash;he did leave over 90 authenticated selfportraits; which offer the details of his outward appearance as he progressed from a young adult to an elderly man. For the majority of his life; Rembrandt enjoyed success and wealth as he catered to the artistic proclivities of the wealthy Dutch merchants in Amsterdam; but personal and financial tragedy dogged him as well. Forced to declare bankruptcy a decade before he died; he continued painting to pay the bills; creating some of his most noteworthy works of art in the process.
#3076389 in eBooks 2015-03-18File Name: B00USN7PVQ
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Creative Insights from a Major Contemporary PlaywrightBy David ElliottDavid Edgar knows his subject. A fourth-generation theater professional and social critic; hes rooted in the world of theater and the world as theater. This little book draws upon his considerable knowledge of ancient and contemporary western plays and his every-day work as a professional playwright. The result isnt a typical "how to write a play" text; but a stimulating presentation of the creative elements available to anyone when "wrighting" a play. Dont be surprised to find yourself thinking of past and anticipated projects with a growing desire to play out the possiblities Edgar brings forward. (David A. Elliott)1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Depth and RespectBy M. S. BlomgrenI spent a large part of my life in the theatre; acting and writing and I enjoyed this book a great deal. Mr. Edgar has many interesting things to say and he packs many thoughts into each chapter which make it difficult to follow for those who are not already well versed in Shakespeare; Ibsen and the like. I do not think this is a guide to writing a play so much as a very good analysis of how plays; often times; work. Without a doubt this is a good addition to the literature.My only criticism is that Edgar sometimes reaches too far to prove his points with examples which do not always fit the point he is trying to prove. Some of his other examples are quite obscure; by playwrights most people have never heard of. That being said I think this is a fine book that treats plays with the respect and the depth they deserve. I learned a great deal. Thank you; Dave Edgar.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well-written and fascinating book on dramaBy R. MAYVery good book; although sometimes he overdoes the points he makes. This was an assigned text along with Egris older book; and the Edgar one is a much better read; although with different ideas. Edgar writes clearly and well.
