Self-portrait

The Self-portrait is a highly significant early work by Rembrandt van Rijn, executed in 1628 during the formative years of the Dutch Golden Age. This influential painting was created using oil paint applied to a wooden panel. Painted when the artist was only twenty-two and still working primarily in Leiden, the piece showcases Rijn’s precocious technical mastery and his innovative approach to self-representation.

The technique employed in this self-representation demonstrates Rijn's rapid development in modeling form through dramatic lighting. The work utilizes a strong, localized light source that casts deep, contrasting shadows, a stylistic approach often known as chiaroscuro. This intense illumination emphasizes the expressive features of the young artist's face and captures the intricate texture of his curly hair, which is built up with distinct, visible brushwork. This careful manipulation of light and shadow distinguishes the work from contemporary Dutch portraits and previews the psychological depth that would define Rijn's mature career.

This early concentration on inner character and the raw, unidealized depiction of the artist is central to the work’s enduring appeal. This painting served as a crucial step in the evolution of the artist’s style, preceding the many celebrated self-portraits Rijn would create over the following decades. Today, the original painting resides in the esteemed collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Due to the historical importance of this masterwork and its current status, high-quality reproductions and prints of this piece are widely accessible through public domain art collections.