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Portrait of Rembrandt by Rembrandt

Rembrandt · 1720-01-01

Portrait of Rembrandt van Rijn hangs in the Rijksmuseum, dated 1720. That is fifty-one years after the artist died. This is not a self-portrait but a posthumous likeness, painted by a later admirer who may never have seen him in life.

Look at the gold chain around his neck. It is an ornate, almost regal detail that sits oddly against his understated dark clothing. The chain may be a mark of honor, added by a painter who wanted to elevate the master's status. The visible brushstrokes on the forehead reveal a different hand than Rembrandt's own.

By 1720, Rembrandt had been dead for half a century, yet his reputation as the greatest Dutch Golden Age master continued to grow. Collectors and younger artists wanted his likeness. Portraits of Rembrandt, some faithful to his self-portraits, others imagined, circulated among admirers across Europe.

Standing before this painting, you are not meeting Rembrandt. You are meeting someone who loved him.

Details

Around his neck: a heavy, ornate gold chain.
Around his neck: a heavy, ornate gold chain.
1720. This man died in 1669.
1720. This man died in 1669.
Another painter's brush built this face.
Another painter's brush built this face.
For fifty years, his image was kept alive.
For fifty years, his image was kept alive.
The deep, muted background emphasizes the figure through dramatic lighting and creates a sense of depth and isolation.
The deep, muted background emphasizes the figure through dramatic lighting and creates a sense of depth and isolation.
Transcript

An old master in his usual dark clothes. Around his neck: a heavy, ornate gold chain. 1720. This man died in 1669. Another painter's brush built this face. For fifty years, his image was kept alive.