Publisher's Synopsis
Rembrandt's Lost Secret is a testament to the power of technique to shape artistic expression. Follow master painter Peter Layne Arguimbau on his journey to expose Jan van Eyck's "invention of oil painting" dating back to 1410. This 'invention', Flemish Technique, led to the Golden Age of Dutch Art, ending with the death of the Old Masters and their precious formulas. Over the course of his painting career, Arguimbau searched high and low for the original formulas-- testing period recipes and meticulously comparing his exacting copies to the historical record. Finally, after decades of research, a seemingly miraculous act of God transpired. The result being the recipes outlined in this book for a modern-day equivalent of the Old Master recipes to be shared with the public for the first time. Beyond his enduring search for these lost formulas, this book also positions the development of the Flemish Technique as an overarching metaphor for how innovations in craft drove stylistic inventions for design in Renaissance art. Arguimbau's message is universal: that technology, abstract design and culture are inextricably intertwined. Rembrandt's Lost Secret is a treasure trove of celebratory engagement with that three-centuries-long story of cultural evolution. A master historical work, it will be a manual for painters, an instructive read for the art community, and the curious to experience the Luminist quality of light of the Dutch Masters.
