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Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606-1669)
Holland, f. 1645
Oil on canvas
128 x 112 cm
Inv. no. 1489
In this painting Rembrandt handles a recurring theme in his artistic production, old age, to which he himself also contributed by painting self-portraits. The identity of this particular figure is, however, unknown.
Creating a highly intimist effect, the work successfully combines the simplicity of Dutch taste with the use of the warm colourings of Italy, characteristic of the author.
Realistic, expressive, psychologically complex, emotionally challenging, the painting reveals a new form of pictorial narrative, through which the spectator becomes aware of the spiritual space the figure inhabits. This aspect is accentuated by a prodigious chiaroscuro technique.
The painting, part of the collection of Catherine II of Russia, was acquired from the Hermitage Museum.
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