Rembrandt's 'Bathsheba Reading King David's Letter' (Masterpieces of Western Painting)

Rembrandt's masterful Bathsheba Reading King David's Letter is unusual both as a history painting and as a portrayal of a nude. Instead of displaying a sumptuous body for the viewer's delectation, Bathsheba elicits our empathy. This collection of essays by six leading Rembrandt scholars examines its qualities from perspectives ranging from changing perceptions of female beauty and the nude, to technical analysis, and biographical and psychological analysis of the artist, the subject, and the viewer. xiv, 214 p. : 24 cm Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-206) and index Introduction : perspectives on Rembrandt and his works / Ann Jensen Adams -- Rembrandt's Bathsheba : the object and its transformations / Ernst Van de Wetering -- Rembrandt's Bathsheba and the conventions of a seductive theme / Eric Jan Sluijter -- An incomparable Bathsheba / Leo Steinberg -- Reading Bathsheba : from mastercodes to misfits / Mieke Bal -- Not Bathsheba. I. The painter and the model / Svetlana Alpers ; II. Uriah's gaze / Margaret D. Carroll -- "Though deficient in beauty" : a documentary history and interpretation of Rembrandt's 1654 painting of Bathsheba / Gary Schwartz Rembrandt's masterful "Bathsheba Reading King David's Letter" is unusual both as a history painting and as a portrayal of a nude. This collection of essays by six leading Rembrandt scholars examines the painting's qualities from perspectives ranging from changing perceptions of female beauty and the nude, to technical analysis and biographical and psychological analysis of artist, subject, and viewer. 36 photos. Edited By Ann Jensen Adams. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 205-206) And Index.