Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/554

 524 Painting eight paintings by his hand, in the Louvre, there are only three which deserve a high place among his works — the Angel Raphael leaving the family of Tobit ; the Disciples going to Emmam ; and the Good Samaritan. There are, however, some very small pictures, almost miniatures in oil, in which Rembrandt rises to the greatest height. Two analogous pictures are in the National Gallery. Although also very small, the Woman taken in Adultery, and the Adoration of the Shepherds, must take the name and rank of historic pictures. The National Gallery has, amongst others, two Portraits of the painter himself, one at the age of about thirty-two — signed "Rembrandt, f. 1640," and the other when quite an old man. Well worthy of notice is a Christ blessing little children, men- tioned by " Burger," among the four best pictures of Rem- brandt. The finest of Rembrandt's portraits in England are in private collections, especially at Buckingham Palace and Grosvenor House. Germany and Russia are almost as rich as Holland Various other historic pictures, also of small dimensions, but as great in arrangement and touch, are collected at the Pinakothek at Munich — a Crucifixion, in dark, stormy weather ; an Entombment, in the obscurity of a deep vault ; a Nativity, illumined by the pale rays of a lamp; an Ascension, where Christ lights up the whole scene with the brilliancy emanating from himself; and lastly, a Descent from the Cross, which is known everywhere by the celebrated etching Rembrandt himself made of it. Vienna has, preserved in its Belvedere, eight or ten por- traits by Rembrandt, amongst which are one of his Mother, very old and very much adorned, and two of Himself at different ages, first young and elegant, then old and care- "