Rembrandt van Rijn is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated painters in the whole of Western art, and while his worthiness is not in dispute, during his lifetime he worked alongside an artist who some contemporaries believe was his equal. The painter, little known today, was Jan Lievens.
He was born in 1607 in Rembrandt’s birthplace, the Dutch town of Leiden. Lievens was something of a child prodigy, beginning an art apprenticeship with Pieter Lastman at about the age of ten and setting up a professional studio in his father’s home at the age of twelve. In fact, it was through Lastman that Lievens met the man who would become his friend and sometime rival for the next several years.
Lievens and Rembrandt
In 1624, the two painters began their fruitful association, and might have shared a studio, though this is not certain. Lievens and Rembrandt had many artistic similarities; like several Dutch artists of the period, they were primarily influenced by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) and his dramatic use of light and shadow, or chiaroscuro. There were, however, differences as well: Rembrandt was more methodical, often making corrections or changes to his work, while Lievens tended to paint quickly and boldly. Contemporaries noticed their work styles reflected in their personalities as well, with Lievens being somewhat arrogant and defensive, Rembrandt more reserved.
Clashes of ego didn’t seem to interfere with the quality of work produced by the pair, or the friendly competition between them. Lievens and Rembrandt frequently painted the same subjects at the same time, like the Raising of Lazarus, of which there are five versions from the period, two by Lievens and three by Rembrandt. They also used some of the same models, including each other — Lievens painted Portrait of Rembrandt in 1629, and Rembrandt’s pen and ink drawing of Lievens, The Artist in a Studio, dates from the same year. In addition, the pair worked together producing etchings and print reproductions of their paintings. So similar was their style and subject matter that even today, scholars are sometimes unable to distinguish one artist’s work from the other’s.
Success and Parting
From the beginning of their association and for the rest of their lives, Lievens would be more successful than Rembrandt in terms of number of commissions. It was even proclaimed by some at the time that Lievens was the innovator in style, and that Rembrandt simply followed his lead. Though leading Dutch intellectual Constantijn Huygens felt the two painters were equally masterful, Leiden burgomaster Jan Orlers preferred Lievens, and bought nine of his works while ignoring Rembrandt’s. In fact, it’s speculated that Lievens’s greater success may have been a factor in the artists’ parting of ways in 1631, when Rembrandt went to Amsterdam and Lievens departed for England.
Later Life
Lievens did not return to Amsterdam until 1644, and though still successful, he was no longer a direct rival of Rembrandt’s. While abroad, Lievens’s style had become far more influenced by Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, with a lighter palette and smoother paint application. Despite the drastic change in style, Lievens continued to be a sought-after painter until his death in 1674. The accolades he enjoyed during his lifetime are surely some consolation to those who feel his work has been unfairly compared to and overshadowed by Rembrandt's.
Sources:
Van de Wetering, Ernst (2002). Rembrandt: The Painter at Work. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 9053562397.
Fields, D.M. (2003). Rembrandt. Wellfleet Press. ISBN 0785816267
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