Self-portrait of Rembrandt

Self-portrait of Rembrandt The painting belongs to the collection of the Potoccy – former owners of Łańcut; it depicts the bust of a young man, in dark clothing, with a white ruff and wearing a hat, with a soft, fancifully swung brim. This is a self-portrait of the painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (b. July 1606 in Leyden, d. October 1669 in Amsterdam), a Dutch painter, graphic and drawing artist from the baroque period, considered one of the greatest artists. He came from the family of a miller, spending his childhood in Leyden. In 1621 he started studying painting in Leyden, later in Amsterdam. Having completed his studies, he returned to Leyden, where he opened his workshop. In 1631 he moved to Amsterdam and started receiving portrait commissions there. There, he also married (in 1634) Saskia van Uylenburgh, niece to an arts dealer, thanks to whom he received commissions. She became a frequent model of his, he liked portraying her in various arrangements and conditions (e. g. pregnant). Sadly, the woman was taken by tuberculosis at the age of 30. As he aged, he devoted less and less time to painting, taking up fewer commissions, becoming bankrupt in 1656. His works were put up for auction and sold. He authored 300 paintings, 300 graphics and 2000 drawings. In his work, he focused mostly on light and shadow effects, masterfully applying the chiaroscuro, with figures emerging from a dark background. In opposition to Rubens – the painter of bodies – he was referred to as a painter of the soul. He liked doing self-portraits, of which he made about 100. The painting from Łańcut is not an original, but a copy from the 2nd half of the 18th century. The shape is interesting – it is an octagon in a broad, gilded, profiled and decorated frame.