Inspirational journeys in the face of nihilism: Rembrandt and his painting The Syndics of the Draper's Guild

Let me throw yours and mine nihilism on this Earth out of the window through art and may be push away the prophecy of Nietzsche that civilization will finally be engulfed by nihilism or a loss of all meanings in this world through this painting "The Syndics of the Draper's Guild" by the 400 year old record breaking sales artist Rembrandt who keeps on commanding more than 100 million dollars for each of his more than 400 works of art, be it paintings or etchings or sketches. This is an iconic picture and most of those who are interested in art know it well.

But yesterday I got an interesting take on explanation of the painting from a hundred year old book that sort of opened my eyes on how nihilism stays in back seat with art and beauty at forefront. Estell M. Hurll explains in her book "Rembrandt" (found free in Gutenberg website since it is 100 years old and out of copyright) about the title of the painting about the Guild this way " In Holland, as in England and France and elsewhere in Europe, guilds were associations of tradesmen or artisans united for purposes of mutual help and for the interests of their respective industries. In some points they were the forerunners of modern trades unions, except that the members were proprietary merchants and master craftsmen instead of employees, and their purpose was the advancement of commercial interests in municipal affairs, instead of the protection of labor against capital. There were guilds of mercers, wine merchants, goldsmiths, painters and many others."

The guilds at that time in the Netherlands must have commissioned Rembrandt to paint this painting with the expressions of the guild leaders frozen in time, in a time when photography was still not there and it seems like someone said "say cheese" and they just looked and someone like Rembrandt took the photo through his eyes and put it in his mind to paint it as it happened in that moment. That's the genius of Rembrandt right there, making a photography out of painting.

Estell M. Hurll further connects this painting from Holland with the making of New Amsterdam that finally became New York this way. "The motto of the guild is a key to their character: "Conform to your vows in all matters clearly within their jurisdiction; live honestly; be not influenced in your judgments by favor, hatred, or personal interest." These principles are at the foundation of the commercial prosperity for which Holland is noted.

The picture may be taken to illustrate a page in American history. It was the Dutch, as we all remember, who founded the State of New York, and the fifty years of their occupation (1614-1664) fell within the lifetime of Rembrandt. The fifteen thousand settlers, who came during this time from Holland to America, brought with them the manners and customs of their home country. The citizens of New Amsterdam were the counterparts of their contemporaries in the old Amsterdam. We may see, then, in this picture of the Cloth Merchants of Amsterdam just such men as were to be seen among our own colonists. In the broad-brimmed hat and the wide white collar we find the same peculiarities of dress, and in their honest faces we read the same national traits. It was to men like these that we owe a debt of gratitude for some of the best elements in our national life. In the words of a historian, "The republican Dutchmen gave New York its tolerant and cosmopolitan character, insured its commercial supremacy, introduced the common schools, founded the oldest day school and the first Protestant church in the United States, and were pioneers in most of the ideas and institutions we boast of as distinctly American."

Basically this story, just opened my eyes to how by creating meaning in things that may be never had any meaning for anything, inspiration happens. The inspiration of America through it's financial power and it's top of the world financial center in New York has a base like this in a guild and that being the reason it has been the inspiration for prosperity, liberty and the American dream that even the world aspires with envy , is a great reminder that the darkness of Nihilism tries to cover us from all sides all the time, but pushing it back with light of meaning is what has saved humanity from prophecies of destruction of nihilism and meaninglessness in everything in this life. This human world is a constant battle between nihilism and meaningfulness, both of which humans generate and art and beauty has big role to play in this battle as this great painting by Rembrandt illustrates. That's one of the great values offered by Voyage ride too- inspirational journeys in the face of nihilism