The relationship Rembrandt had with the Jewish community indeed reflects what was taught in this course. Rembrandt’s connection and interest in the Jewish community can be seen in his Jewish style paintings, his decision to live in the Jewish Quarter, and the impact he had during the Dutch Golden Age. By taking a closer look into these factors Rembrandt’s relationship with the Jewish community can become evident, and it can relate to what was taught in the lectures.
Rembrandt was one of many prominent famous Dutch painters in the seventeenth century. He found inspiration in Jewish subjects and it is evident in his painting style. For instance, it is argued that Rembrandt may have used Jewish models from his neighborhood for his Old Testament scenes. It was assumed that Jewish beggars from Poland were often paid to serve as models (“Rembrandt Van Rijn°,” 2013). However, even subjects that were identified by Rembrandt to be Jewish, in his painting “The Jewish Bride”, were later no longer accepted to be Jewish. The reasoning for his continuous connection to the Jewish community is because after the emancipation, Jewish
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Rembrandt, a non-Jew, lived and worked in the Jewish quarter because it was an artist’s quarter making it practical for him to live there. It had been suggested that his decision to live in that region of Amsterdam was because it was nearby the cities growing Jewish population (“Jewish History,” 2014). This reflects what was learnt in class about Jews in Europe from 200 C.E-1800 C.E. Dr. Young mentioned how Jews suffered persecution, mostly in Western Europe until c. 1800, and less persecution in Eastern Europe until the mid 17th century. Also, how Jews tend to live individually in a ghetto, and how they had no civil rights. In conclusion, Rembrandts relationship within the Jewish community is a mere reflection of what was learnt in