Bathsheba & Sleeping Maid: Classic Dutch Art.

The Toilet of Bathsheba by Rembrandt Van Rijn and A Maid Asleep by Johannes Vermeer are two significant pieces in art history that lie on the walls of the exhibition In Praise of Painting: Dutch Masterpieces at the Met, Galleries 964-965 in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) located in New York City, which I visited on October 24, 2018. This exhibition highlights Dutch paintings of the seventeenth century—which is oftentimes recognized as the Golden Age of Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Hals. The exhibition is composed of paintings that provide further insight into the seventeenth-century Dutch culture by giving its visitors a glimpse of religion, lifestyle, scenery, and views on women during this period.

During the mid-1600s, Rembrandt’s wife passed away and he was faced with many adversities as he fathered his young son, dealt with a declining financial situation, and a breach of a promise suit brought upon by his housekeeper. During this time, Rembrandt continued to produce paintings—however, he shifted his focus to fields such as landscape and religion.

This outlook fostered the original approach that Rembrandt brought to biblical figures in his paintings. The Toilet of Bathsheba, created in 1643, is the only painting in The Met that showcases Rembrandt’s religious views. With 22.5 x 30 in. dimensions, the painting itself is not in good condition but does portray Rembrandt’s superb organizational skills as well as his preference for more naturalistic figures, as opposed to classicized ones, for his protagonists.

The biblical book of Samuel discusses details about King David’s relationship with a married woman, Bathsheba, who would eventually give birth to his child and successor.

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This painting by Rembrandt reflects this story and Rembrandt’s interpretation of it. The story takes place during the night, therefore the background is largely concealed by darkness, and characters that are in light seem to be coming out from this darkness toward viewers. Bathsheba, herself is in the light, her visibility immediately portrays her importance to viewers. This dramatic contrast is typical of the Baroque style. He depicts her in a very naturalistic way—with shadows of muscle, a protrusion of the stomach, and rosiness of the cheeks that resembles a real individual. Though Bathsheba is not clothed, her servants are wearing dresses that would be more typical of the seventeenth century when they were painted rather than 1000 BCE when the characters would have lived. The Baroque period was not concerned with this type of historical accuracy. Painters during this period focused more on seeking an emotional response from viewers. Rembrandt also made use of oil paint on wood to aid in his naturalistic depiction. Bathsheba’s belongings and clothing are given a metallic shine through the layering of oil paint. This technique itself was popular during the period, but it also creates objects that look genuinely rich and extravagant, adding to the drama and texture of the piece. Also, like many Baroque artists, Rembrandt introduces what little action there is on diagonals. Bathsheba’s pose, the actions of the servants, and the way that the light falls all represent this principle. Even King David, on the roof of his castle, is looking at Bathsheba on a diagonal. These diagonals, like the use of darkness, create a sense that figures and objects are sweeping across the image, which is more active scenes can help create the motion between figures.

One would expect more anger to be portrayed in a situation such as this one as King David longed for Bathsheba, but found out she had been married to Uriah. I view this painting by Rembrandt as one that puts forth the other side of emotion, pain rather than anger. In the painting, the light is concentrated on Bathsheba and she is seen as a vivacious woman—flaunting her body so freely and giving a slight smile into the viewer’s eyes. I believe that King David’s shown in darkness symbolizes pain as he watches the beautiful Bathsheba from a distance and aches to be with her, but cannot because she is a married woman. I believe Bathsheba is shown in light because she is the desired object, and the King is in darkness grieving because he can’t have her.

Before Vermeer painted his now-famous interiors, he experimented with several styles. He painted two Biblical themes, two motifs drawn from classical mythology, and one bordello scene which belonged to the popular genre in the 1620s and 1630s. After these words, he approached the so-called ‘modern’ mode which consisted in painting with the utmost fidelity a few, discreet figures set in well-to-do contemporary interiors, the first of which is The Maid Asleep. The 1656-57 oil on canvas painting depicts a young woman asleep, seated at a table in a dimly lit interior. Her elbow is propped on the table for support as she rests her head on her hand. Her surroundings suggest an upper-class Dutch home. A painting and map hang on the walls at either side of an open door, which gives entry into another room through a small passageway. The horizontal and vertical shapes formed by the table and chair, door, and the picture map frames, are repeated in this outer room. Vermeer’s use of these horizontal and vertical shapes produces a sense of stability which reinforces the timeless quality evoked in the painting suggested by the pose of the girl. Among the objects placed at the front of the table is a half-filled wine glass which discreetly suggests that the girl is intoxicated.

Vermeer’s delicate treatment of light and atmosphere is evident in his subtle communication of twilight or dusk. The angle of the light as it falls on the objects and their progressive stages of illumination, from the brightly lit and detailed foreground objects to the softer middle tones and hazy silhouette of the girl against the darker golden brown wall, suggest twilight. Psychologically, this time of day perfectly coincides with the quiet mood of the painting, as it is usually a time associated with reflection and meditation. Vermeer’s use of warm colors, primarily red, yellow, and brown, contrasted with blue, serves to unify the discrete elements and planes of the painting and create a gentle harmonizing effect that is highly appealing. His meticulous application of paint allows him to achieve subtle modulations of tone which builds up volume and form and allows him to render subtle differences in texture. Vermeer also uses these tonal modulations to create a seemingly palatable atmosphere, which serves to both illuminate and obscure objects in a naturalistic manner.

My interpretation of The Maid Asleep suggests that during this time women were constantly at work, without having a break. The painting suggests that this young woman is overwhelmed by household duties, and she decided to indulge in alcohol to temporarily relieve her stress.

This visit to The Met museum has been a refreshing experience. Being able to view artwork from the Dutch Golden Age has given me a newfound appreciation and respect for art.