Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer by Rembrandt Essay

Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer by Rembrandt - Essay Example The essay "Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer by Rembrandt" analyzes Rembrandt van Rijn's "Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer". The painting depicts that Homer is blind, with his eyes brown voids, which guide the eye into a deep darkness. The sightless eyes of Homer’s bust are innocent and profound, which depicts his face being humble and weak and wearing a simple shift. Aristotle’s eyes are black, and they look wanly, like he knows too much. It makes the viewer feel that time has collapsed, and the viewer is directly communicating with the philosopher the way he communes with Homer. Alexander the Great is depicted in a medallion that hangs from a golden chain in Aristotle neck, of whom he had tutored. It can be noted that Aristotle is contemplating the worldly success worthiness, which is material rewards, as opposed to upholding spiritual values. The gesticulates of the hands, depicted by the sleeves that have cascaded and the show that is playing over t he brow and eyes of Aristotle support the previous interpretation that he does not care about the spiritual values. The paint was painted for Antonio Ruffo, who was great Sicilian collector who also referred the comparison of touch and sight by Aristotle. The bust of Home portrait can be referred to as a legendary figure that comes from three centuries earlier. Therefore, it depicts that Aristotle is contemplating on a portrait that depicts a remote past. The artist wants to acknowledge that to some degree any portrait is a fiction.