The Baroque artist Rembrandt creates a work of great suggestive power with this oil painting. The picture is divided into two parts: Two-thirds of the left half are dominated by dark, rich hues. Here, the dramatically torn sky with heavy clouds in contrast to the tranquility of nature, which forms a counterweight with dark, warm earth tones.
On the other hand, if one looks at the right third from top to bottom, the light immediately falls into the eye. The blue sky with white clouds is reflected down in a calmly flowing river landscape. This reflection is moving, bright and friendly. It gives the scenery a liveliness, which is resumed by the mill. In fact, the mill is the majestic eye-catcher and focal point of this oil painting. As on a throne, it is centered on the rocky plateau. Her wings, which face the observer sideways, tower into the sky in a charming diagonal. At the same time, thanks to the sun, they are bathed in a mild pink light and correspond to the delicate shades that can be seen in the sky.

The way the artist places his subject says something about the value Rembrandt attributes to the mill. As machines that work with wind power, mills stand for machines that people have used for 4,000 years in various regions of the world. It is also interesting to know that Rembrandt van Rijn, the most famous Dutch painter of his time, was born the eighth child of a Müller couple. His mother came from a baker's household. Thus the artist may have been personally connected with the topic.
The mill set into action by Rembrandt thus acts as a technical masterpiece, but also through the movement that can be felt by the viewer.

In contrast, there is the peace and stability of the surrounding nature, such as the rock, which protrudes mightily and a castle wall not unlike in the river. The mill is thus a symbol of people's lives: it is powered by wind power. Thanks to them the miller can grind wheat, energy can be gained. The mill is indispensable to human life. Her Rembrandt, therefore, has a place that is visible from afar, and that is illuminated by light.

Nature, man and windmill What is the situation in this world of nature and man made machine with man himself? Interesting to see that Rembrandt certainly puts people in the picture, but in a subordinate place. We see adults and children descending a long way down towards the riverbank. A woman is kneeling by the river and seems to be washing clothes there. A man is still on his way with a child by the hand, slightly to the left of the mill painted above. Not unimportant is also the person sitting in a boat in the lower right corner of the painting. The boat with folded sail sails leisurely out of the picture. It thus attacks the movement of the wings of the windmills and can be extended to this illustrated movement in a diagonal.

Schemenhaft can be seen in the distance on the riverbank a place. His church tower towers up into the dark evening sky. Otherwise, the not further defined place continues in a lush meadow landscape, which in turn is attractively reflected on the water surface.

Rembrandt is known as a portrait painter and painter of self-portraits. Nevertheless, his natural paintings are of special charm. Characteristic features such as perspective and fascinating play of light and shadow can be seen beautifully on this masterpiece. That nature took an important place in the thinking of the Baroque man can be seen in this painting. The color palette is limited to earth tones and blue to gray green, gray and black. It is this restriction that makes the charm of Rembrandt's masterpiece.

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The Mill by Rembrandt van Rijn. Available as an art print on canvas, photo paper, watercolor board, uncoated paper or Japanese paper.
windmill · dusk · mountain · water · boat · person · rowing · cliff · cloud