Rembrandt's "The Rabbi"
What is this painting?
It has sometimes been called "The Rabbi," but it's now known as "The Scholar in His Study." (Rembrandt often painted Jews, especially in his Biblical works. Unlike many Christian painters, he used Jewish models for these paintings. So, it's not impossible that this is a painting of a rabbi.) Rembrandt painted this work in 1634. The painting now hangs in the Národní Galerie in Prague.
Why do you use it on your home page?
Several reasons:
- As a Jew, I wanted an image that would represent my heritage and beliefs. We are commanded to study, and I think the man in the painting exemplifies that, whether or not he is a rabbi (or even Jewish).
- The Internet should be useful for those who want to do scholarship, at least as a starting point. I hope those of you who have similar interests to mine will find points of departure that will help you in your endeavors. I offer my Web pages in that spirit. (Early on, one of the first books about the Internet, The Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog by Ed Krol, inspired me with its cover picture of a Renaissance scholar.)
- Rembrandt is my favorite artist.
