Man in Oriental Dress

Rembrandt van Rijn

1635

oil on panel

Rijksmuseum

A man with a grey beard and a white turban is depicted in a three-quarter portrait. He wears an ornate brown robe with gold trim and a jeweled necklace. Rembrandt manipulated light in a highly personal way. Here, the man’s turban and the right side of his face are brilliantly illuminated, while the left side is in shadow. Character heads like this – they are not portraits – were extremely popular in the 17th century; early on, they were widely copied and imitated. They were known as ‘Turkish tronies’.