Self-portrait

Unknown artist

1628

Purchased with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt, the Stichting tot Bevordering van de Belangen van het Rijksmuseum and the ministerie van CRM

Rijksmuseum

A young man with curly hair is depicted in a self-portrait, with a strong shadow cast across his face, obscuring his eyes and nose. He is looking towards the viewer. A young man with curly hair is depicted in a self-portrait, with a strong shadow cast across his face, obscuring his eyes and nose. He is looking towards the viewer. Even as an inexperienced young artist, Rembrandt did not shy away from experimenting. Here the light glances along his right cheek, while the rest of his face is veiled in shadow. It takes a while to realize that the artist is gazing intently out at us. Using the butt end of his brush, Rembrandt made scratches in the still wet paint to accentuate the curls of his tousled hair.