Portrait of “Herman Doomer” by Rembrandt and “Young Sailor II” by Matisse

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Portrait of Herman Doomer by Rembrandt
Young Sailor II by Henri Matisse
Comparison of Paintings
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Portrait of Herman Doomer by Rembrandt and Young Sailor II by Henri Matisse are paintings whose themes are focused on a single person. Being a rich cabinetmaker, Herman Doomer extensively worked with imported ebony. As for the other discussed picture, Young Sailor II was completed by Henri Matisse in 1906. It is a portrait in Matisse’s famed Fauves style, measuring 40 inches tall and 32 inches wide (Metropolitan Museum of Art). The portrait’s subject is a young man dressed in traditional fisherman’s garb. Matisse emphasizes the young man’s innate beauty in this painting by emphasizing his facial characteristics and using rounded contours for his arms and legs. Both works portray particular men in a detailed and original way.

Portrait of Herman Doomer by Rembrandt

This portrait of Herman Doomer, an ebony artisan in Amsterdam, is signed and dated 1640. Herman Doomer was born in the German town of Anrath, close to the Dutch border at Venlo. He moved to Amsterdam around the age of eighteen, where he married Baertje Martens in the Nieuwe Kerk on November 11, 1618 (Metropolitan Museum of Art). Herman was twenty-three years old at the time, and his wife was twenty-two. She had moved to Amsterdam from her hometown of Naarden around ten years before, presumably to work as a maid in a Herengracht house.

Rembrandt’s meticulous attention to detail with this image could demonstrate his respect for a fellow great craftsman. The son of the counple, Lambert, apprenticed in Rembrandt’s studio when he painted Doumer’s portrait (Metropolitan Museum of Art). In the painting, one can see a man in the center of the paper sitting in front of the black background. His face traits are demonstrated in a highly detailed way. Thus, such characteristics as the age and mood of the man can be seen through his facial expressions and appearance. Herman is most likely standing in one place, and thus the painting is motionless. The work is performed in dark and dark-brow colors, which makes the painting correspond to the realism style. The shadows are reflected in a very natural and realistic way.

Young Sailor II by Henri Matisse

The portrait by Henri Matisse is painted in the Fauves style, which uses basic shapes and vivid colors to portray the person. A navy blue cap, a navy blue pullover, a white undershirt, and a blue and pink striped shirt are worn by the young man. The man is dressed in loose green slacks, checkered green and white socks, and pink lace-up shoes with rubber soles on his lower torso. The background is a flat pink tone with no definition, and the spectator can only see a piece of the chair. As the man sits in the chair, the composition is motionless as in the first work.

The most focus is paid to the young man’s face, which draws attention to itself right away. The face has round features, with additional attention paid to the definition of the forehead, cheekbones, and chin. The man’s face is slightly intriguing, with his right eyebrow raised above his left as he relaxes into a peaceful but amusing posture in a chair with the headrest resting on that palm. The man’s proportions are slightly exaggerated, as is typical of Matisse (Brown, 2021). The painting’s general vibe is slightly romantic but also casual and welcoming. The viewer is soothed by the bright colors and gentle contours. The sailor’s carefree and lighthearted attitude is slightly indicative of his prospective romantic interest. His face is well-defined and may be considered the portrait’s focal point. It has a kind and intriguing expression, which lends credence to the romantic intent argument.

Comparison of Paintings

The final part of the paper is devoted to the discussion of similarities and differences between these paintings. It is hard to formulate meaningful similarities because painting styles and the people depicted in paintings are entirely different. Therefore, it is more relevant to talk about the contrasts between these paintings. The most obvious difference lies in the fact that these paintings were created in entirely different eras. Rembrandt’s works are regarded as 17th-century baroque, while Matisse is considered a 20th-century modernist and post-impressionist. It was almost impossible to imagine paintings similar to Matisse’s art pieces in museums and private palaces of the 17th century. By the same logic, it is difficult to imagine the popularity of an artist who paints in a similar style as Rembrandt in an era of completely different currents of the 20th century. Another difference is the social status of men in the painting: Herman Doomer is a successful cabinetmaker, while Matisse depicts a sailor, a person of lower social status.

Conclusion

To sum up, this paper analyzed two famous paintings: Rembrandt’s Portrait of Herman Doomer and Matisse’s The Young Sailor II. These paintings present the audience with men of completely different social statuses. From the manner in which they are depicted, one can speak about values and perceptions of different eras. The text of this essay can serve as an excellent introduction to the work of these artists.

References

Brown, K. (2021). Henri Matisse. Reaktion Books.

Metropolitan Museum of Art. Herman Doomer (ca. 1595–1650). Web.

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Portrait of “Herman Doomer” by Rembrandt and “Young Sailor II” by Matisse

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