Who painted Man with a Sheet of Music?

Man with a Sheet of Music was painted by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1633.

Where can I see Man with a Sheet of Music?

Man with a Sheet of Music is held by Corcoran Gallery of Art.

What movement is Man with a Sheet of Music?

Man with a Sheet of Music is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Man with a Sheet of Music?

Museum-quality prints of Man with a Sheet of Music are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Man with a Sheet of Music by Rembrandt van Rijn (1633)

Inscription: Inscribed:center right, to the right of the sitter's shoulder: Rembrandt f[-] / 1633

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Created in 1633, this oil painting by Rembrandt van Rijn functions as a portrait centered on a male figure.

Created in 1633, this oil painting by Rembrandt van Rijn functions as a portrait centered on a male figure. The composition explicitly depicts a man wearing a hat while holding a sheet of music. These visual elements constitute the work's primary iconography, identifying the subject specifically through his association with musical notation rather than through other attributes.

While the piece is classified generically as a portrait, the inclusion of the musical score serves as the defining characteristic of the sitter's representation within the frame. The available records confirm the presence of these three specific components, the man, his headwear, and the musical document, but do not provide further interpretive details regarding specific symbolic meanings or the identity of the individual portrayed.

Technique & Style

Man with a Sheet of Music is executed in oil on panel, a support Rembrandt frequently favored for smaller-scale portraits of this period. The work measures 64 cm in height by 45.5 cm in width, a relatively intimate format suited to its single-figure composition of a man wearing a hat and holding a sheet of music. The painting is classified as a portrait and is dated 1633, placing it within Rembrandt's early Leiden-to-Amsterdam transitional phase, when his handling of oil paint on wooden supports was characterized by careful modeling of the sitter's features against a restrained ground.

The panel support and oil medium have allowed the work to survive through successive owners and institutional holdings, ultimately entering the National Gallery of Art collection in 2014.

History & Provenance

Man with a Sheet of Music is dated to 1633 and executed in oil on panel. Its earliest recorded owner was Jan Stolker of Rotterdam, whose estate sold the painting on 27 March 1786 (no. 8). It may subsequently have entered the collection of Earl Howe, who lent a work titled A Man with Roll of Music to the British Institution exhibition of 1860.

After a period in a private Russian collection, the painting was jointly held by Durand-Ruel and M. Knoedler & Co., New York, by July 1912, with Knoedler acquiring a half share at that time. William A. Clark purchased it in September 1912, bequeathed it to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in April 1926, and it entered the National Gallery of Art in 2014. The sources do not record any commission for the work.

Man with a Sheet of Music is presently in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., having entered the museum in 2014 after the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s collection was acquired; earlier it belonged to the Corcoran as a bequest from William A. Clark in 1926. The sources do not record an accession number for the painting. Its exhibition history includes a loan to the British Institution in 1860, when it was lent by Earl Howe (see Graves, A Century of Loan Exhibitions).

Legacy

The painting’s later reputation is reflected in its exhibition history and distinguished provenance. It was lent by Earl Howe to the British Institution exhibition of 1860, demonstrating early nineteenth‑century recognition. After passing through the galleries of Durand‑Ruel and M. Knoedler & Co. in 1912, it was acquired by William A. Clark and bequeathed to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1926.

In 2014 the work entered the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it remains on view. These successive holdings in major American institutions underscore its enduring status as a valued Rembrandt portrait.

Overview

Rembrandt's 1633 oil on panel, Man with a Sheet of Music, presents a portrait of an unidentified individual. The subject, a bearded man, is depicted holding a rolled document that appears to be a musical score. His direct gaze towards the viewer, combined with a contemplative expression, invites engagement.

The composition is characterized by a striking interplay of illumination and shadow, which contributes significantly to the work's overall mood and visual depth.