5AD008: week 2 (9th Feb 2015) class analyse of Rembrandt's 'the Jewish Bride'

As part our learning into research, the whole class worked on observing and analysing a painting called 'The Jewish Bride' By the painter, Rembrandt based on looking at it in a narrative/story perspective, the visual elements that explains the situation and also how the artist uses the lighting within the painting to represent the theme.

Through a plot, my own scenario was that this was a royalty or nobility marriage which in most cases back in the 17th century was arranged marriages. In this case, the story behind the two people is that she is not happy for this arrangement, but he is happy and doesn't care how she feels about the situation. Others thought that the father is giving the daughter away for a number of reasons including the gain of alliances and expanding the family empire or in a religious aspect, gaining respect or power for marrying into a highly religious family.

Within the visuals, there are a number of things that could explain the plot elements above. Firstly, they're both wearing rich, expensive clothing from the contrast of gold and vibrant red colours and the amount of jewellery the female figure is wearing which also shows they were probably expensive. Secondly, the emotional status displays she isn't happy for the arrangement as we thought she looks more sad and depressed but the expressions situated display that she has no choice in the matter as women didn't have a voice in society back then as they do now in the 21st century. This would be the same with the way her eyes are looking down as to show she's not comfortable with this, as in a normal aspect, newlyweds would look at each other with displays of happy emotions. Thirdly, what most of the class got from the groom is that from his facial expressions, eye contact and hand gestures, it clearly showed the bride is his property. Furthermore, when he is touching her inappropriately around the breasts with a smiling gesture, it displays his uncaring, self-adsorbed personality that he is only in it for himself  and thinks he can do whatever he likes.

From the lighting, the artist concentrates more on the aspects of producing a dark, eerie and early modern presentation. What we all thought aswell is that the dark setting around the couple shows that these two are the centre of attention in the narrative side of the painting. Also the lighting around the clothing colours brings out the shine of displaying their nobility background and rich lifestyle to the observers.