| This thesis examines the reception of Rembrandt's art in eighteenth-century France. This investigation is accomplished on three separate levels: theory and criticism, connoisseurship and collecting practices, and artistic influence.; The first chapter explores the writings of the three eighteenth-century art theorists and critics, Roger De Piles, the Abbé Du Bos and Denis Diderot. The nature of their treatises differs significantly. Through an investigation of their thoughts on Rembrandt's art, however, it is revealed that the qualities admired in his art change very little as the century progresses.; This admiration for Rembrandt's works (drawings, etchings and paintings) is reflected in the art collections of those living in France in the eighteenth century. An examination of the sales catalogues, as well as the various abrégés and dictionaries of the period, indicates that connoisseurs often agreed with the opinions of the theorists.; In the third chapter, the extent of Rembrandt's influence on the artistic production in eighteenth-century France is considered. Rembrandt's subject matter, his use of chiaroscuro, his painterly technique and especially his portraiture, appealed to the major and minor artists of the period. An analysis of why so few artists were able to integrate fully the essence of Rembrandt's art—his sympathetic portrayal of the common-man—into their own pieces will be discussed. An investigation of the few artists who did manage to penetrate Rembrandt's meaning and reflect this in their own work will need to occur since there were instances of complete understanding in the late portraiture of artists like Chardin. Whether this assimilation was due more to theoretical demands or to painting practice will be considered in the concluding pages of this thesis. |
