Artwork
Portrait of Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn
Portrait of Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Lievens. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The brushwork emphasizes texture over detail, particularly in the hair and beard, where dry, broken strokes create a sense of volume and movement.
The painting is executed in oil on a vertically grained oak panel, with a warm brown ground visible in abrasions. The handling is broad and fluid, with rapid, sketch-like strokes defining facial features and costume. Subtle glazes modulate the face, while the collar is rendered with lighter, opaque highlights that suggest satin.
The brushwork emphasizes texture over detail, particularly in the hair and beard, where dry, broken strokes create a sense of volume and movement. The composition is tightly framed on the bust, with the sitter’s gaze directed slightly downward, lending an intimate immediacy to the portrait.
History & Provenance
The painting was executed in 1628, as indicated by its creation date.
It has been part of the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum since at least the mid-twentieth century. The work is recorded there with dimensions of 57 cm in height and 44.7 cm in width, painted on panel using oil-based drugs, a medium typical of Lievens’s early practice.
The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, accessioned as SK-C-61.
It was included in the exhibition “Dutch Portraits: Rembrandt and His Contemporaries” (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, 2007–2008) and later in “Rembrandt and His Pupils: Rising to Fame” (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, 2014–2015).
Overview
Jan Lievens created a portrait of his contemporary Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn in 1628, situating the work firmly within the Dutch Golden Age. The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the close professional relationship between the two artists, who were both Leiden natives and former pupils of Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is a young Rembrandt, rendered with curly hair, a solemn expression, and attire that includes a dark hat, a white collar, and a red garment draped over his shoulder. The plain, dark backdrop isolates the figure, emphasizing his facial features and the introspective mood typical of early seventeenth‑century portraiture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Lievens (24 October 1607 – 4 June 1674) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who was associated with his close contemporary Rembrandt, a year older, in the early parts of their careers.
