![Rembrandt - Self-Portrait, Age 23 [1629] | by Gandalf's Gallery](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51231749050_209df599dc.jpg)
Rembrandt - Self-Portrait, Age 23 [1629]
Rembrandt’s self-portraits, made throughout his long career, served many different purposes, and in these explorations of his own face and personality remain elusive in many ways. This is one of his first painted self-portraits, and unlike most of the earlier ones, it is not a study of expression or emotion. Indeed, the face, though beautifully lit with evocative shadows, is almost expressionless. The painting is all about costume: the plumed cap, silk scarf, and jacket suggest that this might be an elegant sitter, perhaps even an historic personage. The painting is large and carefully finished, almost as though it were a demonstration piece. In 1629, Rembrandt had not yet received any portrait commissions, so this work might have been done to show off his talents.
[Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston - Oil on oak panel, 89.7 x 73.5 cm]
Rembrandt - Self-Portrait, Age 23 [1629]
Rembrandt’s self-portraits, made throughout his long career, served many different purposes, and in these explorations of his own face and personality remain elusive in many ways. This is one of his first painted self-portraits, and unlike most of the earlier ones, it is not a study of expression or emotion. Indeed, the face, though beautifully lit with evocative shadows, is almost expressionless. The painting is all about costume: the plumed cap, silk scarf, and jacket suggest that this might be an elegant sitter, perhaps even an historic personage. The painting is large and carefully finished, almost as though it were a demonstration piece. In 1629, Rembrandt had not yet received any portrait commissions, so this work might have been done to show off his talents.
[Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston - Oil on oak panel, 89.7 x 73.5 cm]