A Young Man with a Chain
c. 1629 or 1632
Medium
oil on wood
Dimensions
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Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of John L. Severance
Accession Number
1942.644
Tags
About this artwork
This painting is an example of a tronie, a Dutch word meaning “head” or “facial expression.” Tronies were not intended to be identifiable portraits, but artistic investigations of facial appearance and fanciful costume. Particularly in the years around 1630, Rembrandt used this popular format to explore different lighting effects and facial expressions. Here, the strong contrast of light and shade shapes the contours of the young man’s face; unusual accessories such as the striped scarf and glit...