REMBRANDT’S BATHSHEBA READING KING DAVID’S LETTER Bie by ‘Ann Jensen Adams CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS{Taber Dang. Trmpogon see Conde, Un gon ‘Toe Entagh Hang, Canteen 29, UK 4 Wen sh St Rew Yr Sons, USA fo Semel Rend Outi, Maun 66, Auta © comb: Unie Pre 8 Th kin coi ej mao ec Fin pi 98 etn ak ai foe Bh Lay Cops Canin ita Dat Pm. (Maree of West pti Inca bbb eee a nce ra sgs9t7 = aN o-204940 9 oie Te Sein Noes Raacy vot bm o-et4s9e7 rove) Sssrastes pl) CONTENTS List fans Aedledenents Notes on Cavin Introduction: Perspectives on Rembrandt and His Works sn JENSEN ADAMS 1. Rembrani’s Bathheba: The Object and Is Transformations 1 Rembnind’s Bathshoa ond the Conventions of « Seductie Theme sac yas stutren 3: Au Incomparable Baths 4. Reading Bathshebs From Masterodes to Misfits 5 Not Batseba L. The Painter and the Mode 8 19 ur, Uriah’s Gaze 6. “Though deficient in beauty": A Documentary History and Interpretation of Rembrandt's 1654 Painting of Batseba Seer Bboy Inder %. 5 ILLUSTRATIONS Rembrandt, Basket King Dai’s Later, 1654 Xcray photograph of Rembrand, Bust, 1654 [Recoseucion of origi orenation of Rembrandt, Baths 1654 Rembrnt, Homo Sing Halidrauel Beside a Ste 1658, ching Rembrandt, Nude Wome Seated on « Mownd, ca. 1631, crching 1H. J. Muller afer Maarten van Hlecmskerc, Batis Resising King Dot's Mesae, 1553, engraving Johan Bare, Batseba at the Bath 1603, engaving ‘Willem Buytowech, Bathihbs Reading King Dai’ Leer, 1646 etching Willem Buytewech, an Old Woman Bring Bathseba King Dave's Leer, 1615, etching Pietet Laseman, Bates, 1619 (Crap van de Base My in Le mi des plas ees courier decomp, Amsterdam (1630) J. G. Maid afer Jn Lieves, Bahhebs Recising David's Late (a. 1631), mezroane Copy afer Rembrane, Baths, ca 1632 Reribrande, Dans atte Bath, 21630, etching Rembrande, Tins Male Nudes and # Mother ond Child (Fe Robeagene”), ca. 1646, etching Rembrandt, OU Testament Henne at Her Tit (° Eater, uth Bathe), ex. 1632/1633 9° 3 ss s 6 os2. 3s 2. we. a» a as ‘Rembrandt pupil, Tiler of Based, 1643 Rembrandt, Andomeds, ca 1639 Rembrande, Swe a he Bath, 1636 Rembrands, Daa ca. 1636-1643 Johannes van Bronckhorst, Batsthe with King Davl’s Teter (Chol van Siem afer TabissStimmer, Bash, 1574, woodcut Franjos Perse, “Antique Relief." engraving, homes segment, Rome, 1645 Joos van Winghe, pels Painting Compaspe ‘Willem Drom, Baths wth King Dari’ Ltr, 1654 Michelangelo, Bugs Madonns compared sich 2 Hellenste Cupid ‘Rembrandt (), Sed Fonale Nude, ise and ash Seated Aphrodite, Hellenic, marble Lekythos with Toler af Helen (or Aphodie), Greek, [Rembranis workshop. A Painter and His Mod Peter Paul bens, Based a the Fountin Peter Pal Rubens, Pot of Fine Fourment, “Het pee’ Rembrandt, The Side of Lure, 1666 Unknown ais Swans Buthing, partial copy afer Reembrand, Sonn and he Elder (1647) Remirande, Swans and the Eldes, 1647 66 s %0 & 16, ss 163 1 19 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Teds please to thank here each of my collaborators for ther generous contibuciont to this volume, and for dei for bbeance over the period of asembly: Seedana Alper, Mieke ‘Bal, Margaret Caro, Gary Schwarz Ei Jan Slater, Leo Stin- ‘berg and Erat van de Weteing, The sens of which this book int por was the inopiration of Cambndge Universty Presta histay editor Beatnce Reh. Woeds can only begin to express my ratte for her unflagging enthusixm, encouragement, and sup por. Production editor Camilla T, Keapp endured delays and provided suppore with firme and grace Towe a spec debt of gattade 10 the colleagues and fiends wtp have abo sutained me during thi period including. Ann ‘Beminghom, Diane Doiron, Jan Goldstein, Vieira Kaho, Mack Ro, and Helene Silverberg, Particular tanks go to 0 addi tional fends, Olga Naud and che Ite Rebecca Cohen. I muse alse express pleasare ere for my German shepherd, Saiki, who regaayseatiaded me take bresks fora walk anda lil pay. “Two department chairs a the University of Califoria a Santa ‘Batbar have been instrumental in thee frendhip and suppor: [Ulich Keller and Brace Roberson. Michelle Russell and Ulnke Pee-Kelie, graduate students and frends, took dame ut fom ‘hair bony schedules to help me assemble, check, and eit the Tacnote to some of ther ens I would abo ke to express my _gatude fr insctional soppore fom UCSB to Dean Zimmer than and Dean Herac, Academie Senate Research Funds, and the Interdcipinary Humanities Insta. [am indebted co thecussots and photo librarians of dhe mosums tha provided the Photographs fo this woume for answering ny requests with speed End gener, Like other ar torn today, ama parila ftefal co those who, understanding the expenses of schoby publsing, provided photographs and permisions ac no or moves Shae Finally all of ws muse chank both Rembrande van Rij of Lek dea forthe compelling images he lew, andthe unnamed model, ‘who at for him and provided him with isptation, CONTRIBUTORS os sin. ADAMS is Aslociate Profeuor i the History of Art fn Architecture a the Univenity of California, Snes Barbar. She it the author of Public Fas, ute Mens: Prat end the Potton of Commanity in tecenay Holla (Forthcoming) tne curitor and thor of Sovecent-Ceury Duh and Fens Pantings om Dew Yore Prete Cleon (1988), SvETLANA zune i Profewor of Art History, Emerita atthe Uni ‘enity of California, Hetkley. She isthe author of The Doon 1 te Tare dee Parada (4971), The Ae of Describing: Dutch An in the Soententh Contry (1083), Rembran’s Extopre: The Stuio fn the Maret (1988), The aking of Rubow (1995), and, wich Mice! Buxandll, Tico and he Poa neti (194) sun nas Profesor of Literate athe Isiuut voor Algemene Ticrtourwetenschap, and the Ameria School for Cultural Analyse, University of Amsterdam, She is the author of Nana tay: Intedaton 10 the Theory of Nanatlgy (1983), Lethal Lae: enn Literary Realings of Bibl Lave Stns (1987), and Reading "Rambrand": Beyond the Wond-Inage Oppo (1991) auoaner pets CARROL i Profesor of At History at Welles ley College, She ithe author of ances in The Aa Blin, Art btn, Arbus o¢ His, and "The Eris of Absolut: Ras ‘ben snl the Mytiation of Sexual Violence," in Repsntton (Gsia). She completing a book aboue expan and represen ‘atoms of gender inthe Renasance‘cary scnwanr2 isthe author of Rembra, Hir Li, Hic Painings (4985), The Daa Word of Painting (1986), and, with Marten Jan Bok, Pser Sandan The Pinter nd Fle Tne (1990). His B= onal book Bet and Sams: Noel fhe Ant Word ws published bby Manion Boyars in 1996 tate yan stoyren teacher att history atthe Kunsthitorsch I= tu, iksuniverstei, Leiden, and is the author of De theydenche Jil’ in de Noordedeande shld (159-1670) (988), fand “Ven, Vieos em Pita,” Nederlands Kihitoic Jauo, vol. 42/43 (1953). to stints Benjamin Franklin Profesor Emeritus, Univer sity of Pennylvana, A MacArthur Fellow (986-91, he delivered the Charks Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University i 195~ 196. The second, expanded edition of hi Saat of Cli Rem tisance An and in Modem Obvion (Chicago, 1096) has recently been published, FANST VAS DE WETERING is the dzetor ofthe Sdchting Found tion Rembrande Research Project and Profenor of Ar History 2 the Kusthistonch Institut, Universitet van Amsterdam, He i 2 covauthoe of A Cops of Rombnn Pains (1982- ANN JENSEN ADAMS : INTRODUCTION: PERSPECTIVES ON REMBRANDT AND HIS WORKS Rembranse ~ the man and his work ~ has domized the fied of Dutch studies Although they have changed dramat— cally over the century, characteris and evasion of Rem bane the hina figure and the painting, draéings, and pins artbuted to him have served a a paradigm ~ both positive and i ames negative — dough which oer Durch sevenscent= eotry arts have been evaluated for more tan eee handed yews. As Seymour Slve and Jan Emmens have agued, Rem= rnd’ imager were used to characterize and exicize an ant- hsial maton im Dutch at only a decade after his death’ In ‘contrat 4 recent author josfes his perception of Remand’ Siric dominance ofthe century bythe art's apparen inluence ‘on others “No other sevencenh-century punter ha Been i= tated co the degree Rembrandt was from the very beginning of his career In soncepions of Rembrande, scholars have crested the standard agains which the work of other seventeent-