Isaac and Rebecca, Known as ‘The Jewish Bride’
c. 1665 - c. 1669
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
h 121.5cm × w 166.5cm
Classification
painting
Museum
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
About this artwork
It seems that Rembrandt painted his subjects as the biblical couple, Isaac and Rebecca. Its popular name, the Jewish Bride, is a later invention. The portrait is painted with an extraordinarily free hand, as in the sleeve, where the paint is especially thick and shaped to reflect the light.
Art Historical Context
Rembrandt van Rijn'sIsaac and Rebecca, Known ‘The Jewish Bride’ (c. 1665–1669) is a captivating late masterpiece, painted in oil on canvas and measuring 121.5 x 166.5 cm. Housed in the Rijks, it portrays an intimate couple whom Rembrandt seems to have envisioned as the biblical lovers Isaac and Rebecca from Genesis, veiled in tenderness and quiet devotion. The artwork's popular nickname, "The Jewish Bride," emerged later in the 19th century, possibly reflecting interpretations of the figures' attire and features, though the true identities of the sitters remain a mystery. What sets this portr...
About the Artist
Rembrandt van Rijn · 1606–1669
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669) stands as one of the greatest visual artists in the history of Western art and the most important Dutch painter of the 17th century. Born in Leiden to a prosperous miller's family, Rembrandt transformed painting through his revolutionary use of light and shadow, his psychological depth in portraiture, and his elevation of etching to a fine art. His approx...