Writing About Painting: The Mill

           The famous artist Rembrandt was born in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1606. He spent the rest of his life there, painting the people and scenery surrounding him. He often depicted his family members, and he was best known for his realistic portraits of people. He completed more self-portraits over the course of his life than any other artist in history. Some of his works feature windmills, which were abundant in Holland in his time period. Most of Rembrandt's models wore dark, grim clothing. So, sometimes for fun, Rembrandt would dress flamboyantly in bright colors and jewels, and then paint himself. When his first wife Saskia died, Rembrandt hired a woman named Hendrickje to take care of his only son, Titus. She and Rembrandt soon fell in love and later they had a daughter, Cornelia. Rembrandt often incorporated religion into his pieces. He painted many Bible scenes. Rembrandt did not save the fortune he accumulated from his paintings. Instead he bought antiques and random items and used them in his works. Rembrandt died in 1669, at age 63.

  

             I think this painting is amazing because it takes a simple, ugly day and spins it into a beautiful landscape. I love the way the windmill glows like the sun is setting across the river, even when the sun isn't shown in the painting. Rembrandt painted very realistic details, like the reflection of the trees in the water. Something that I noticed about this painting is that the people at the bottom are really not the focus of the image. It's almost as if they're hiding. They're an afterthought in the shadow of the mill.



Wait for the Day to Dawn

As the sky blanket billows down
On top, blends gray and brown
Spread your potluck on the ground
And wait for the sky to sob.

As the river ripples clear
Filled with sorrow, built with tears
Welcome friends to share a cheer
And wait for the news to ring.

As the wind hums its tune
Silent cry of weathering dune
Stay awhile, don't leave so soon
Just wait for the mill to whistle.


           This is the poem I wrote about Rembrandt's piece The Mill. In each stanza I tried to express the natural beauty in the poem, but also to observe the people and their interactions. The way I look at the painting, there's a family living in Amsterdam. The father is taking a turn on his boat while his son watches on the banks. The mother and baby girl lie down on a blanket at the edge of the water, and the grandfather stands back to admire the land from a little farther away. I think that this painting can be related to those special family days where you just enjoy being together. It might be different all over the world, but you can always find peace somewhere. I think that The Mill is the depiction of that place for Rembrandt. His escape. What's yours?


 Venezia, Mike. 'Rembrandt.' Pages 3,4,6,9,17,18,22,26,27,28,29,30.