Rembrandt: Seeking Closure in Classical Narratives

In many of Rembrandt’s depictions of mythical themes, he humanized the fantastical. Through realism and austere symbology, Rembrandt innovated classical narratives. Three of Rembrandt’s late works highlight the apex of Rembrandt’s study of the complex emotion underlying the mythical characters of Lucretia and Callisto. Both women were rape victims immortalized in moments of shame. Rembrandt’s model for Woman Bathing in a Stream, housed at the National Gallery in London, may have been Rembrandt’s mistress, Hendrickje Stoffels, who was ostracised by society for unchaste acts. Thus, the topic of sexual shaming was a topic that interested Rembrandt artistically and personally. This paper will draw on previous scholarship to explore Rembrandt’s inspiration for and manipulation of classical narratives. Moreover, it will consider how Rembrandt’s deeply emotional depictions of women echo the struggles pervading Rembrandt’s personal life at the time of their creation.