Self-Portrait

About this artwork

Self-Portrait by Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn), 1660. Created in Oil on canvas, this work exemplifies the artistic practices and cultural values of its period. The piece reflects the technical skills and aesthetic sensibilities characteristic of its historical and cultural context. As part of the European Paintings collection, it contributes to our understanding of artistic development and cultural expression. The work serves as both an aesthetic object and a historical document, providing insi...

Art Historical Context

Rembrandt van Rijn's *Self-Portrait* of 1660 is a example of the Dutch master's late oeuvre, painted in oil on canvas and measuring 31⅝ × 26½ inches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Paintings department—thanks to the 1913 bequest of Benjamin Altman—this work showcases Rembrandt's profound self-examination, a recurring theme in his over 80 self-portraits across his lifetime. Created during the Dutch Golden Age, amid the height of 17th-century Dutch prosperity and artistic innovation, the painting reflects Baroque influences with Rembrandt's signature chiaroscuro technique. ...

About the Artist

Rembrandt (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...