"The Feast of Belshazzar"

Rembrandt van Rijn - Oil
Belshazzar's Feast is a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn created in about 1636 - 38. The source for the painting is the story of Belshazzar and the writing on the wall in the Old Testament Book of Daniel. The Netherlands prior to the end of the Eighty Years' War was part of the Holy Roman Empire and thus was Roman Catholic. However, cities such as Amsterdam, where Rembrandt lived, had substantial Jewish populations. The story of Belshazzar's Feast from the Holy Bible is an anecdote with which the art world and the general public would have been familiar. The aesthetic principals are a significant component of this art work. The texture on the faces of the figures is used to make the scene more realistic. Warm vibrant colours and the use of diaphanous light are also used to create a life like effect. These aesthetic principals distinguish Rembrandt art work.