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#113: By Xavier F. Salomon, Chief Curator Transcript

Of the many self-portraits Rembrandt painted, this is one of the most iconic, not only for its poignant revelations of the self but for its painterly magnificence.

The initial effect is daunting, as though we are confronting an ill-tempered monarch or a wealthy man displeased with our conduct. The clothes worn are timeless and exotic. In place of a crown, a large velvet beret floats over Rembrandt’s head like a shifting cloud. The painter holds a staff as though it were a scepter. Yet this feeling of an uneasy confrontation diminishes as one focuses on the features. A veil of what seems like wariness shadows the painter’s face, which is blurred and scarred—by time, sorrow, and illness. Rembrandt was only fifty-two when he signed and dated this portrait. He was also a short man, but he portrayed his figure in monumental dimensions. It is almost as though he decided to pack his entire life into this image of himself, both what had gone before and what lay ahead.

His gigantic hands before us remind us of Rembrandt’s profession as an artist. They are, after all, the physical instruments with which he created this grand illusion.

Self-Portrait

 (Dutch, 1606–1669)
Date1658
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions52 5/8 x 40 7/8 in. (133.7 x 103.8 cm)
Credit LineHenry Clay Frick Bequest
Accession number1906.1.97
Commentary

Rembrandt painted more than sixty self-portraits and drew and etched his likeness repeatedly. These works range from youthful efforts that often served as experiments in dramatic lighting effects or transitory facial expressions to the more subtle and searching images of his mature years. The Frick canvas, with its psychological depth, monumental scale, and rich, warm coloring, is the best known and among the most imposing of these portraits. The artist, burdened with financial struggle and personal problems, depicted himselfin poignant and perhaps ironic contrastin the splendid costume and enthroned dignity of a monarch.

Source: The Frick Collection: Handbook of Paintings, New York: The Frick Collection in association with Scala Publishers, 2014.

Collection History

Earls of Ilchester. Knoedler. Frick, 1906.

Source: Paintings in The Frick Collection: American, British, Dutch, Flemish and German. Volume I. New York: The Frick Collection, 1968.

Not On View
Oil painting of sitting man wearing black outfit and hat
Follower of Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
1650s
Oil painting of man riding horse
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
ca. 1655
Oil painting of a standing man wearing a fur coat
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
1631
Black and white print of Christ preaching to a large crowd of the poor and the sick, most likel…
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
ca. 1648
Black and white etching of a cottage with two trees and a white fence, with a wagon to the righ…
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
1648
Black and white etching of a hay barn surrounded by trees and bordered on the left side by a ro…
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
17th century
Black and white etching of a landscape with three cottages along a road, with a large tree in f…
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
1650
Black and white etching of Saint Francis as a bearded old man, praying on his knees in a densel…
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
1657
Black and white etching of a portrait of a man seated in a wooden chair wearing a large hat and…
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
1651
Black and white etching of a portrait of a bearded old man wearing a hat seated in a chair with…
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
1656
Black and white engraving of Pilate presenting Christ to the people. Pilate and Christ stand on…
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
by 1655
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