Lucretia of Rembrandt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lucretia of Rembrandt - Essay Example Rembrandt's excellent attention to detail allows the viewer to observe the intricate designs on Lucretia. The model is dressed in a decorative, highly stylized dress indicating enormous wealth. The head of Lucretia is bent to one side and lowered a little as though in shame and in anguish. At the left portion of her white robe is a long streak of dripped blood. The white robe appears slashed beyond comfortable length in the middle of her bosom, indicating unwelcome hands. On the weighty left hand of Lucretia, she holds a string hanging from higher space as though just by a slight pull she would be lifted up in deathly space. Round her neck is the ready loop of the noose. On her right hand is a dagger pointed at herself, ready to harm. From just the sight of bloodstains, however, she might as well have already cut herself to death and is slowly dying. There is an expressed effort to die by all means in Lucretia. Meanwhile, the face is that of loneliness and resignation from life. She appears to have cried so much in her despair. There is a fantastic element of color coordination throughout this painting of Rembrandt. The color of the rope, her fluffy white silk cuffs, her silky blouse, and her golden jewelry shows the continuity of color. The tone is important to painting, perhaps even more than color. The tone is how light or dark a color is, rather than what the actual color is. The implementing tone in a painting is often bothersome to artists because people get distracted by the strong appeal of color.