Three Rembrandt Self-Portraits
A Look into the World of Self-Portraits
Life etches itself onto our faces as we grow older, showing our violence, excesses, or kindnesses. ― Rembrandt Van Rijn
Rembrandt’s Workshop: A Closeup
Elements seen in this artwork include A young Rembrandt positioned on the left side, facing his painting with a gaze fixed on the viewer. Behind him is a table with bottles, likely containing linseed oil or other solvents, and a stone slab next to the table which the painter may use for scraping his colors. Two paint palettes hang on the wall, and there is a tripod and its stand facing the painter, with its back to the viewer. On the right side of the painting, there is a curtain with its shadow falling on it, along with cracks and plaster peeling on the wall. Lastly, light streams into the room from the left. Rembrandt portrays the simplicity and the poverty of true artists through these elements.
In this room, there is no element present that pertains to anything other than painting. There is nothing in this workshop that suggests Rembrandt is thinking of anything other than painting. The room resembles a place of worship due to its simplicity, with the same characteristic of cleanliness yet weariness. It seems to convey a romantic lesson about painting: that painting can only…
