Self-portrait at the age of 34

Self-Portrait at the Age of 34 is a self-portrait by Rembrandt, dating to 1640 and now in the National Gallery in London. The painting is one of many self-portraits by Rembrandt, in both painting and etching, to show the artist in a fancy costume from the previous century. In this case specific influences in the pose have long been recognised from Raphael's Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione (now Louvre) and Titian's A Man with a Quilted Sleeve (in 2017 called Portrait of Gerolamo? Barbarigo) in the National Gallery. Rembrandt saw both of these in Amsterdam, in his day the centre of Europe's art trade, and made a sketch of the Raphael, with its price.[2]

Self-Portrait at the Age of 34
ArtistRembrandt
Year1640
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions102 cm × 80 cm (40 in × 31 in)
LocationNational Gallery, London
AccessionNG672
B21, Self-portrait leaning on a Sill, etching, 1639, 2 states. The pose draws on portraits by Titian and Raphael, A Man with a Quilted Sleeve (NG, London) and Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione (Louvre) respectively.[1]

He had tried out a similar pose in an etching of 1639, Self Portrait, Leaning on a Stone Wall (B21), looking rather more rakish.[3]

The artist depicted himself at the height of his career, richly dressed and self-secure.[4] It is one of over forty painted self-portraits by Rembrandt.[5]

Painting materials

The scientific analysis of this painting by the scientists at the National Gallery in London[6] revealed the use of the following pigments by Rembrandt: lead white, bone black, charcoal black, ochres and vermilion.[7]

References
  1. White, 170–171
  2. White, 173–174
  3. White, 170–171
  4. "Self Portrait at the Age of 34". National Gallery.
  5. White, 10
  6. Bomford, D. et al., Art in the making: Rembrandt, New edition, Yale University Press, 2006, pp. 70–74.
  7. Rembrandt, Self-Portrait at the Age of 34, ColourLex
  • White, Christopher, Buvelot, Quentin (eds), Rembrandt by himself, 1999, National Gallery, London/Mauritshuis, The Hague, ISBN 1857092708


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.