Copyright by Laura Mareike Sager 2006 - The University of Texas at ...

against the predominant romanticizing interpretations of them as documents of a
self-searching mind. Moreover, “Rembrandt” responds with humor to the young
people, and accepts their invitation to join them in the pub. When they toast,
“Rembrandt” speaks the words of the Biblical King Solomon: “vanity of vanities,
all is vanity.” Although they laugh, he continues to quote Solomon’s “words of
wisdom,” finishing by emphasizing that “there is nothing better than that a man
shall rejoice in his works, for that is his portion.”
This is one of the many scenes in which “Rembrandt” is shown as narrator
of biblical stories or wisdom who fascinates and mesmerizes his listeners. In fact
throughout both the screenplay and the film, “Rembrandt” has a greater effect on
his audience through his words than through his paintings. During these scenes in
the film, the camera often pans across and zooms in on the captivated faces of his
listeners. Rembrandt as painter of the power of the word here becomes master of
the word himself, rather than of the paintbrush. In the last instance with the young
painters in the pub, moreover, it is through his speech that he is recognized by his
former pupil Flinck, who was part of the merry crowd.
After returning to his studio with new paint and paintbrushes, bought with
money Flink gave him, “Rembrandt” begins to work on a self portrait. Again, the
work enacted is an amalgamation of two works, this time the two late self
portraits in which Rembrandt has represented himself in the act of creation: the
Self Portrait at the Easel and the Self Portrait as Zeuxis. When he begins to paint,
the mise-en-scène shows the canvas on the right side of the screen and the artist
on the left, palette and maulstick in hand, looking straight ahead at the viewer, at
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