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The reading and the lecture are about “Portrait of an Elderly Woman in a White Bonnet,” a painting which may or may not be a work by Rembrandt. The author of the reading believes that the painting was not done by the Dutch master. The lecturer casts doubts on the claims made in the article. She thinks that it was, in fact, painted by Rembrandt.
First of all, the author claims that the woman’s outfit is inconsistent, as it pairs a servant’s cap with a luxurious coat and fur collar. She believes that Rembrandt would not have made such a mistake, as he paid very careful attention to detail. This point is challenged by the lecturer. She says that the woman’s fur collar was added to the painting by another artist at a later date. She points out that this was likely done to increase the value of the painting.
Secondly, the author states that the depiction of light and shadow in the portrait is poorly done. He argues that Rembrandt would not have made the mistakes which are seen in this particular painting. This argument is rebutted in the lecture. The lecturer observes that when the aforementioned fur collar is removed, no mistakes with light and shadow remain. She notes that the original version of the painting is up to Rembrandt’s usual standards.
Finally, the author mentions that the portrait was painted on a series of panels which were glued together. He notes that while Rembrandt often painted on wood panels, there is no evidence that he ever used panels that were glued together in such a fashion. The lecturer casts doubt on this by arguing that the wood panel was expanded many years after the painting was originally done. She puts forth the idea that this is evidence that the painting was originally completed on just a single panel like other works by Rembrandt.
