Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1658
In this late self portrait, Rembrandt has already declared bankruptcy and moved to a poorer part of town. He still had patrons, but not of the same elite caliber of his earlier years. Rembrandt started to do more self portraits during this period in his life. In this one, we do not see a man broken down or shamed by his financial situation. Instead, Rembrandt depicts himself on a large canvas, staring out at the viewer with a certain sense of confidence, although a bit weary. There’s a glowing quality to the paint; Rembrandt was a master colorist, and his control over paint has never been better.
