"Rembrandt and the Female Nude is an important contribution to the scholarly interpretation of both the nude in general and Rembrandt’s nudes in particular. Sluijter sheds new light on art theoretical notions, attitudes towards competition, and approaches to the antique in the Dutch 17th-century.
Exploring Rembrandt’s intense dialogue with the works of predecessors and peers, the author demonstrates that, more than any other artist, it was Rembrandt’s purpose to incite the greatest possible empathy in the viewer. This had far-reaching consequences for the moral and erotic implications of the subjects Rembrandt chose to depict.
In this richly illustrated study the author presents an innovative approach to Rembrandt’s views on the art of painting, his attitude towards antiquity and Italian art of the Renaissance, his sustained rivalry with the works of other artists, his handling of the moral and erotic issues inherent in subjects with female nudes, and the nature of Rembrandt’s artistic choices." (Publishers text)