About this artwork
In this extraordinary self-portrait, Rembrandt’s direct gaze arrests attention. The effects of time and experience are written on his face, in which he explored the subtle colouring and textures of ageing skin with startling objectivity. The artist left more than eighty paintings, etchings and drawings of himself which record his appearance throughout his career, and reflect something of his changing fortunes. They also confirm his remarkable creative energy even amidst personal crisis. By the time he painted this work, in 1655, he had endured great personal and financial difficulties.
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Updated before 2020
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artist:Rembrandt (Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn) (1606 - 1669) Dutch
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title:Self-portrait
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date created:165[5]
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materials:Oil on canvas
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measurements:Image: 53.00 x 43.00 cm; Canvas: 53.00 x 54.00 cm; Framed: 73.70 x 64.50 x 10.50 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Bridgewater Collection Loan
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accession number:NGL 072.46
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gallery:
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depicted:
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subject:
Rembrandt (Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn)
Rembrandt (Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn)
Rembrandt is perhaps the most renowned, influential and inventive of all Dutch artists. In his oil paintings, he represented a wide range of subjects, including single portraits, group portraits, self-portraits and biblical and mythological scenes. He explored the dramatic potential of light and...