Calliope articles from March 2006

Calliope archives from March 2006

Meet the master.(Rembrandt van Rijn)(Biography)
March 1, 2006... Rembrandt van Rijn was born in the city of Leiden in the Netherlands on July 15, 1606. His father, who came from a family of millers (people who operate mills), married the daughter of a baker, and together they had 10 children, of which...

Self portrait with Saskia.(Rembrandt van Rijn)
March 1, 2006... At the height of his success in 1636, Rembrandt van Rijn painted one of his many self-portraits. As the years passed, it proved unique, as it was the only painted double portrait of himself and his wife Saskia. The theme, however, was...

Breaking the rules.
March 1, 2006... Although in some ways a deeply traditional artist, Rembrandt also developed his own style and techniques. To understand the changes he introduced--some subtle, some not so subtle--read the text, then study, compare, and contrast the three...

The making of an oil painting.(Rembrandt)
March 1, 2006... Rembrandt achieved luminous effects through his innovative and skillful use of oil paints. As the name implies, oil paints are an oil-based medium. Through a special process of layering glazes of paint, the method enables artists to create...

The golden age of Dutch art.
March 1, 2006... In 1609, the seven northernmost provinces of the Netherlands broke away from Spanish domination and formed the Dutch Republic. In the decades that followed, the republic rivaled England as a great economic and political power. Taking...

A tale of 2 paintings.(Supper at Emmaus, Rembrandt and Caravaggio)
March 1, 2006... Rembrandt wrote nothing about himself and provided no background or explanation for his designs or subjects. It has been the task of those living in the centuries since his death to analyze the characteristics of his style and to determine what...

Rembrandt's etchings.
March 1, 2006... At first glance, Rembrandt's etchings may seem downright boring compared to his paintings. Composed almost entirely of black lines on white paper, they lack the rich, glowing colors that make his oil paintings famous. Some art historians,...

Rembrandt's landscapes.
March 1, 2006... Although Rembrandt made only a few landscape paintings, he turned to the subject many times in his etchings and drawings. Most show local scenes, some of which can still be identified and visited. In some--Six's Bridge, for example--he left...

Shared letter puzzle.(ACTIVITY)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The four words in each numbered group below have only one shared letter--there is only one, letter that appears in every word in that group. Write the common letter from each set on its numbered blank below. When finished, you have spelled out...

The face of an artist.(Rembrandt)
March 1, 2006... Rembrandt spent an extraordinary amount of time looking into the mirror, meticulously studying his reflection. He sketched, etched, and painted his own image a staggering 75 times or more, and no two portraits are alike. These portraits reveal...

Learning from the master.(Rembrandt)(Biography)
March 1, 2006... When you imagine Rembrandt at work, you might picture him as a solitary genius, alone with his ideas, thinking only of his art. Actually, Rembrandt's studio was often a busy place, humming with the activity of his students and assistants. As a...

The Wunderkammer.(Rembrandt's collection of natural and man-made treasures)
March 1, 2006... Today, many people enjoy collecting baseball cards, bottles, arrowheads, and the like. In Rembrandt's time, collecting was a serious passion. In fact, Rembrandt, like a number of his contemporaries, had an entire room called the Wunderkammer,...

Rembrandt's legacy.(FROM PAST TO PRESENT)(Biography)
March 1, 2006... Around 1650, Rembrandt realized that he faced insurmountable financial problems in spite of having borrowed substantial sums of money. Among the bills he could not pay was the mortgage on the house he had purchased in Amsterdam in 1639. By...

Word origins.(FUN WITH WORDS)
March 1, 2006... BOSS Surprised that such a commonly used English word as "boss" has its origins in the Dutch language? Well, as the story goes, the early Americans did not like the word "master" because of its association with class. For this reason, in the...

Word stories.(FUN WITH WORDS)(Yankee)
March 1, 2006... YANKEE Today, in England, the word "Yankee" is used to refer to Americans. Here in the United States, however, the definition varies. Southerners use it for northerners; while northerners restrict its meaning to New Englanders. Who used it...

Some 'Dutch' expressions.(FUN WITH WORDS)
March 1, 2006... Several commonly used phrases in English include the word "Dutch." Check out the three listed below. Then start thinking, and see how many more you can add. Dutch doors--doors with upper and lower halves that can be opened separately ...

What makes a Rembrandt?
March 1, 2006... Look at the two paintings shown here. Can you tell which one is by Rembrandt? If you thought the answer was "both," you are not alone. For centuries, even experts were fooled into thinking that they were done by the master. On the left is...

Ask Calliope.(Incas)(Greek games)(meaning of the caduceus)
March 1, 2006... ? Why were the Incas called "children of the sun god"? --Danny, 12, Web post ! The Incas told a story that the sun god sent his son, Manco Capac, and his daughter, Mama Ocllo, to earth to instruct the people of Peru in the arts of...

Books.(OFF THE SHELF)(Rembrandt the Painter at Work)(What Makes a Rembrandt a Rembrandt?)(Rembrandt's Self-Portraits)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Great Artists by Robert Cumming (DK, 1998, www.dk.com) uses a two-page chapter format to introduce readers to one or two specific works of each of 50 painters. Sidebars and captions directly related to the style, techniques, and subject matter...

Cobblestone resources.(OFF THE SHELF)(Directory)
March 1, 2006... Materials that complement this theme's topic, "Rembrandt van Rijn," and are available from Cobblestone Publishing include: The Spice Trade (CAL0602) Becoming an Artist (APP0205) Leonardo da Vinci (CAL0203) The Early...

On the net.(Directory)(Website list)
March 1, 2006... For a terrific site that links to many of Rembrandt's works, with additional links to full screen images, detail images, conservation notes, location, and much more, go to: www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/psearch?Request= S&Name=Rembrandt&Title= ...

The Conservator at work.
March 1, 2006... Before beginning work on any piece, today's conservators study the techniques used at the time when the painting they are conserving was originally made. They need to understand the original techniques so as not to use any solvents or materials...

Fulfilling a dream: Calliope magazine spoke with Rhona MacBeth about her work conserving paintings.(Interview)
March 1, 2006... How did you become involved in conservation work? Rhona MacBeth: Actually, I started as a painter, and I was always fascinated by the materials and techniques painters used. I would ask my professors how the artists had achieved the effect...

At work in the lab: checking for overpaint.
March 1, 2006... While conservators always aim to protect works of art in the best manner possible, the techniques a conservator may use often vary. Why? Because the choice depends on the composition of the original paints, the condition of the canvas and other...

Examine a painting with 'raking-light'.(ACTIVITY)
March 1, 2006... Look at an oil painting straight on, and it appears one-dimensional--a flat surface covered with various colors in a series of strokes that form recognizable patterns, objects, and people. What your eyes miss are the special features created by...