From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-- It is relatively rare to find a world scholar writing in such a jargon-free and accessible way about the complexities of a historically significant man and period. Schwartz's explanation of the various ways in which art historians go about interpreting pictures will help readers feel less threatened by any particular dogma, and may even give some the courage to join in the art history detecting game. He presents a Rembrandt with all the flaws and quirks he had, telling an engrossing story that even those who know something about the artist will find hard to put down. Cream-colored frames around each page make the book visually inviting. Each chapter begins with a large illuminated capital, and the reproductions are placed for their visual variety as well as for illuminating points in the text. Many are full page and all are finely printed. Two foldouts of etchings give readers a chance to see up close the magic of Rembrandt's acid-bitten line. This is the very model of a modern monograph. --Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, ColumbusCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
By a Rembrandt authority and longtime Netherlands resident, the best yet in the ``First Impressions'' series. Schwartz not only relays the most significant events in the master's life, depicts the genius and milieu that engendered his fame, and outlines enough political and social history to give him context- -but also conveys the man's rich complexity, includes sage observations about the difficulty of winnowing facts from legends adhering to the great, offers a succinct overview of schools of art history (describing his own philosophy as a sensible amalgam), and ends with a history of the artist's reputation (fueled, ironically, both by the many misattributions and by their unmaskings). Schwartz includes telling contemporary quotes (the poet Huygens observed that Rembrandt ``combines individual and universal features better than any [classical] Greek painter''); his own uncondescending voice is admirably lucid and intelligent, with a humorous edge. He's also right about Rembrandt's darker side (among other things, he was ``not more scrupulous in financial affairs than he had to be''). Oddly, mention of Amsterdam's Jews is omitted; otherwise, a nearly flawless text, with more emphasis on the art's emotional content than on the artist's techniques. The 54 beautifully reproduced illustrations are well chosen, placed, and captioned; the elegant book design, with borders subtly echoing Rembrandt's signature glow, is outstanding. A must. Art fully cited; index. (Nonfiction. 10+) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Card catalog description
Surveys the life and work of the well-known seventeenth-century Dutch artist and discusses the reasons for the rise and fall of artists' reputations.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Rembrandt, an offering from the First Impressions series intended for young readers, is a valuable survey of the Dutch master's work. A chapter discussing different schools of art criticism is exceptional in its clarity and precision and will make the biographical text (which happily doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of Rembrandt's personality) that much richer. The analyses of the individual works tend to discuss how the paintings make one feel rather than what the viewer sees, but if the goal is to spark interest in art in young people, that approach may be an apt one.

ANNOTATION

Surveys the life and work of the well-known seventeenth-century Dutch artist and discusses the reasons for the rise and fall of artists' reputations.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Did Rembrandt's nasty disposition, tactlessness and underhanded dealings sabotage his career? That is the extreme conclusion of Schwartz, who has sifted through thousands of source documents in Amsterdam archives to produce this monumental study. We see an embittered genius, unable or unwilling to win the protection of clan leaders that was essential to advancement. In nearly 40 years at the Amsterdam court, Rembrandt never painted a burgomaster. By painstakingly piecing together the painter's connections with dealers, customers and friends, Schwartz shows that Rembrandt was dependent on a group of patrons that remained fairly fixed. From commercial success as a facile ``face-painter,'' the Dutch master was driven to create his individual style. But as the interpreter of set cultural and religious ideals for his patrons, his artistic scope was more limited than most scholars assume, according to Schwartz. Part biography, part catalogue, this attractive volume claims to be the first to present color reproductions of all Rembrandt's paintings, except for those few squirreled away by private collectors. Indispensable for the serious student of Rembrandt. December

Library Journal

Schwartz's masterfully documented study should both revolutionize and illuminate our understanding of Rembrandt's life and works. Through a scrupulous investigation of the master's personal and professional relationship with the religious, political, and cultural factions within Dutch society, the author rediscovers the man and the artist within the milieu in which he labored. Rembrandt's paintings may no longer be comprehended as largely subjective expression, but rather as an interpretation of the intellectual and spiritual concerns of the master's circumscribed circle of patrons. The excellence and accessibility of the text along with the color reproduction of the complete corpus of paintings make this a strongly recommended acquisition for all art collections. Robert Cahn, Social Sciences Dept., Fashion Inst. of Technology, New York

School Library Journal