Artwork
Man in a Beret
Man in a Beret is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt van Rijn. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is classified as a portrait depicting a man wearing a beret, rendered in the style of Rembrandt and dated to 1690.
Man in a Beret is an oil painting executed on a canvas support, measuring approximately 75.9 by 62.9 centimeters. The work is classified as a portrait depicting a man wearing a beret, rendered in the style of Rembrandt and dated to 1690. Rather than being by the master himself, the piece is catalogued as a work by the 'Style of Rembrandt.'
The medium consists of oil paint applied to the canvas, a standard combination for Dutch portraiture of the period. The physical object resides within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having passed through several private owners, including the Holford and Payson families, before entering the public trust.
History & Provenance
The painting Man in a Beret is dated 1690 and is catalogued as a work in the style of Rembrandt rather than by the master himself, who died in 1669. Its provenance traces to the Holford collection at Dorchester House, London, where it remained until the death of Sir George Holford in 1926. It later belonged to Charles Shipman Payson, whose wife, Joan Whitney Payson, owned it before the work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Man in a Beret, an oil-on-canvas portrait dated 1690, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its recorded provenance includes the Holford collection at Dorchester House and the Payson family. The sources do not provide the work's specific accession number, nor do they detail any exhibition history.
Overview
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn completed Man in a Beret in 1690, utilizing oil paint. This portrait, now housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, represents a facet of the artist's extensive career during the Dutch Golden Age. Rembrandt was a prolific creator, producing hundreds of paintings, etchings, and drawings that encompassed a wide range of subjects, including portraits, landscapes, and historical narratives.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a solitary male figure, depicted from the shoulders up, gazing directly forward against a dark backdrop. He wears a beret and a dark garment accented with a white lace collar. This work exemplifies Rembrandt's consistent engagement with portraiture, through which he explored the nuances of human expression and individual character, a hallmark of his artistic practice throughout his career.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
