Vocabulary practice

I. Find in the text equivalents for the following.

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn – «The Renunciation

Latin school – of the Apostle Peter» –

Eugene Fromantin – Hendrickje –

Leiden – Pieter Lastman –

The University of Leiden – Amsterdam –

Holland (The Netherlands) – «Anatomy Lesson

Saskia van Hylenburg – of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp» –

«Christ Healing the Sick» – «The Mill» –

«The Jewish Bride» – «Return of the Prodigal Son» –

II. Match the following words and word combinations to their correct meaning:

1. hardships модель, натурщица

2. contempt утешение

3. masterpiece существование

4. fame шедевр

5. awareness лишение, нужда

6. studio слава

7. sitter презрение

8. solace познание

9. existence несчастье

10. misfortune мастерская художника

III. Translate the given adjectives, suggest their synonyms and word combinations, make up sentences of your own:

1. prodigal

2. frivolous

3. wilful

4. compliant

5. beautiful

6. beloved

7. absolute

8. mature

9. staggering

10. mendicant

IV. Memorize the following collocations.

Расцвет – blossom, bloom.

Расцвет литературы – golden age of literature.

В расцвете юности – in the blossom of one’s youth.

В расцвете сил – in the plentitude of one’s powers, in the prime (heyday) of life.

Я знал его в расцвете сил – I knew him in his heyday.

В полном расцвете – in full bloom.

V. Make a list of key words and word combinations from the text with their translation equivalents.

терпеть лишения – to suffer hardships;

библейские темы – biblical subjects/ themes; the Bible stories;

художественная мастерская – artist’s studio.

Translation/interpreting practice

I. Snow-ball interpreting.

Train your memory and repeat after the speaker (without looking into the text)

a) in Russian b) in English

1. В жизни Рембрандта ван Рейна много темного и неясного. По словам писателя Эжена Фромантена, в жизни Рембрандта ван Рейна, как и в его живописи, много темного и неясного. Об этом гениальном художнике написаны тысячи книг, но, по словам писателя Эжена Фромантена, в жизни Рембрандта ван Рейна, как и в его живописи, много темного и неясного.	1. There are many shadows and dark sides in the life of Rembrandt. According to the writer Eugene Fromantin, there are many shadows and dark sides both in the life of Rembrandt and in his painting. Thousands of books have been written about this artist of genius, but according to the writer Eugene Fromantin, there are many shadows and dark sides both in the life of Rembrandt and in his painting.
2. Все картины «лейденского периода» написаны на библейские темы. Все картины «лейденского периода», каждую из которых можно назвать шедевром, написаны на библейские темы.	2. All the «Leiden period» pictures are painted to match the Bible stories. All the «Leiden period» pictures, and each of them can be called a masterpiece, are painted to match the Bible stories.
3. Влюбленный художник одевает Саскию в великолепные наряды. Влюбленный художник одевает Саскию в великолепные наряды, изображает на картине в виде богини. Влюбленный художник одевает Саскию в великолепные наряды, изображает на картине в виде богини, но никогда не открывает ее наготу, словно бережет от чужих взоров.	3. The enamoured artist dressed Saskia in the magnificent garments. The enamoured artist dressed Saskia in the magnificent garments, depicted her as a goddess in the pictures. The enamoured artist dressed Saskia in the magnificent garments, depicted her as a goddess in the pictures but never unveiled her nakedness as if protecting from the glances of strangers.

II. Résumé making (text compression).

Listen to the recorded text, make notes and write a résumé in Russian /Ukrainian /English.

(Reduce the text to the core, then develop it back without consulting the text).

Translate into English using text compression (omit redundant words, convert nominative structure into verbal, use noun clusters etc.)

First, do it in writing; then orally, observe transformations in translation.

III. Text development.

Develop a text from the given core (first do in one language in writing, then with interpretation –orally).

IV. Sight translation рractice.

Pay attention to precision information (proper names, geographical names, dates) and correct word order. Suggest background information required for a proper translation of the text.

V. Check yourself (your translation)against the pattern translation version.

VI. Listen to the recorded text and practise consecutive interpreting.

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn

(1606–1669)

Dutch Painter

His contemporaries often called the artist «the prodigal son of the Dutch painting» as he appreciated his independence so much that preferred to tolerate all hardships and contempt of his compatriots instead of giving up his ideas of painting to please his customers. Thousands of books have been written about this artist of genius but according to the writer Eugene Fromantin, «There are many shadows and dark sides both in the life of Rembrandt van Rijn and in his painting».

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn was born in 1606 into the family of a rich miller from Leiden. Having finished Latin school he entered the University of Leiden but in a year he left his studies for the sake of painting. After three years spent in Amsterdam when he served his apprenticeship with Lastman, a history painter and engraver the young artist returned to Leiden. He opened a studio together with his friend Yan Lievenson. All «the Leiden period pictures» – and each of them can be called a masterpiece – are painted to match the biblical themes. They impress not only by the play of colours but also by the deep psychological insight which is not characteristic of the painting of that time.

But in a quiet provincial town of Leiden few people were able to appreciate the talent of the young artist. And in 1631 Rembrandt left for Amsterdam, the center of artistic culture of Holland. There he opened a small shop bearing a high-sounding name «The Academy of Painting» and started painting portraits to order. The fame of the talented artist quickly spread around the whole city and soon Rembrandt became the most fashionable painter of Amsterdam. The number of commissions and consequently the artist’s fees grew constantly. The pinnacle of Rembrandt»s portrayal mastery at that period was the picture «The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp» painted to the surgeons» corporation order.

The artist received everything he dreamt of: glory, wealth, awareness of his own talent and love… In 1634 Rembrandt married to a charming and cheerful girl – Saskia van Hylenburg. The young wife became his favorite sitter. The enamored artist dressed Saskia in the magnificent garments, depicted her as a goddess in his pictures but he never showed her nudity as if protecting from strangers» glances.

But when it seemed that the artist reached the peak of his fame happiness abandoned him. Saskia, his only beautiful beloved, died of tuberculosis, having left him a live spitting image of herself – their son Titus. The artist gave up painting and refused to receive any guests or orders. His only consolation was Titus who was brought up by Gertier Dirks, the foster mother and later Titus» bonna. Gertier became the artist»s sweetheart and an absolute hostess in his house. But when Rembandt took a fancy to a young maid servant Hendrikje, she appealed to the court accusing the artist of breaking his promise to marry her. The court»s verdict for Rembrandt was to pay Gertier 200 huldens a year, a huge amount of money at that time. So, the most difficult period of the artist’s life began.

The painter’s talent and his mastery reached their peak. But the tastes of the customers changed. The frivolous genre scenes became more popular. But the stubborn artist persisted in refusing to paint pictures he disliked but which his customers liked. He asserted: «I was born Rembrandt and I’ll die Rembrandt». The customers often preferred to address not the willful master but his more compliant apprentices.

At that time the artist spent a lot of time working on etching. He created the real masterpieces of graphic art: «The Mill», «Christ healing the Sick», «Three Crosses», and «The Bridge of Siks». But the artist could not improve his material well-being and in 1657 he was declared a bankrupt. Even the selling of his property could not save Rembrandt. He was forced to move to a small house in the town’s poor district. In the pictures painted during his last days dark colors prevail but his mastery attained the greatest heights. He painted «for himself» the pictures that are by right considered the most mature creations of the master: «Denunciation of the Apostle Peter», «The Jewish Bride». He is haunted by misfortune. In 1663 Hendrikje died. In five years his favorite son Titus faded away of tuberculosis. The lonely, sick and forgotten by everyone artist was left alone with his art. Shortly before his death he painted his self-portrait and «The Return of the Prodigal Son» staggering by its strength. His almost mendicant existence undermined his physical and emotional state of mind. On October 4, 1669 Rembrandt passed away but the death of the greatest Dutch artist passed unnoticed.

Rembrandt’s art, forgotten by his contemporaries was appreciated by his descendants. «Master, the only one both in his own country and in all countries at his time and at all other times» – these were the words said about Rembrandt by his biographer Eugene Fromantin.