Artwork
Man with a Magnifying Glass
Man with a Magnifying Glass is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt van Rijn. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a middle-aged man tentatively identified as Pieter Haringh, an Amsterdam regent, holding a small magnifying glass in his right hand.
The painting shows a middle-aged man tentatively identified as Pieter Haringh, an Amsterdam regent, holding a small magnifying glass in his right hand. The work is a pendant portrait dated 1660, rendered in oil on canvas. The inclusion of the magnifying glass has been read as an emblem of attentiveness and careful scrutiny, attributes appropriate for a civic official.
By presenting the sitter with this object, Rembrandt connects portraiture with a broader interest in observation and empirical detail characteristic of mid-seventeenth-century Dutch culture.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1660, this portrait by Rembrandt utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support measuring 91.4 cm in height and 74.3 cm in width. As a pendant painting, it depicts the figure of Pieter Haringh holding a magnifying glass, a specific attribute that defines the composition's narrative focus. The piece is classified within the portrait genre, characterized by its representation of a single male subject engaged with an object. The material construction is confirmed as traditional oil on canvas, consistent with the artist's late period production.
History & Provenance
Man with a Magnifying Glass was created by Rembrandt in 1660, executed in oil paint on canvas. The portrait depicts a man tentatively identified as Pieter Haringh. The painting's documented ownership chain begins with Jean d'Oultremont and subsequently passes through Charles Sedelmeyer and Benjamin Altman before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held. No commission details are recorded in the available documentation.
Overview
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn completed Man with a Magnifying Glass in 1660, during the height of the Dutch Golden Age. This oil painting captures a portrait of Pieter Haringh, presented with a concentrated gaze and holding the titular object. The work is a notable example of Rembrandt's diverse artistic output and is currently housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Context
As a leading artist of the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt was celebrated for his extensive contributions across painting, printmaking, and drawing. His oeuvre, comprising approximately three hundred surviving paintings, showcases a remarkable breadth of subjects and stylistic approaches. Man with a Magnifying Glass exemplifies his departure from conventional portraiture, reflecting his innovative and varied artistic practice within the period.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
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