“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(“Is this in Italy?” I didn’t know whether to interrupt or not. Seth/Jane had a little trouble with the word frescos, as though it was unfamiliar to her. She knows the word, however.)

Florence. (In Italy.) The master wants to get the same feeling of bulk and three-dimensional weight and size from flat painting—molding color rather than rock. They think it cannot be done. He is fascinated by the concept.

(The Rembrandt data is surprising, and raises many questions. According to Seth I lived in Denmark in the 1600’s. I was a painter as a younger man, then gave it up for the more respectable role of a farmer, at which I was quite successful. I do not know whether I traveled to Italy, or at what point in my life age-wise. Perhaps I was there before giving up active painting. I believe I farmed in Denmark, but there is much here that we don’t know. Denmark and Holland of course are close geographically.

(There is little available on Rembrandt’s correspondence—a few letters; inventories attached to his bankruptcy in later life, etc. Italy is not mentioned as far as I know. Rembrandt did do business with a wealthy art collector in Sicily, selling him some very famous works—Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer, etc., and a series of etchings late in life. Don Ruffo. Historians generally say, for want of any other facts, that these business transactions were done by mail, etc.

(Perhaps I carried out some of my experiments with painting the outdoor sculpture in Denmark, where winter weather must be considered, after visiting Italy. While I discussed the Florence, Italy, data with Jane after the session, Seth returned very briefly re Rembrandt:That is why he went to Florence—to see the sculpture there. Perhaps after my return to Denmark from Italy I did some experimenting re painting sculptures, and then passed this information on to Rembrandt?