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National Public Radio’s Susan Stamberg gets sucked in to the Rembrandt and His Pupils exhibit:

“A sketch,” says curator Lee Hendrix, “is putting your thoughts on paper.” And Rembrandt van Rijn was the most brilliant artistic thinker of the 17th century — perhaps of any century. He drew compulsively.

“It was an end in itself,” Hendrix says. “For Rembrandt, drawing was a way to work through subjects.” Illustrating biblical stories or contemplating a portrait, the painter gave careful thought to the tale being told, the nature of the person to be depicted. “I mean, he was one of the greatest dramatic artists who ever worked,” Hendrix continues. “I think of Rembrandt as a kind of Shakespeare.”

Drawing Distinctions Between Rembrandt, His Pupils (NPR)

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