Self-portrait in a cap and dark cloak: bust c. 1631

Rembrandt van Rijn created this self-portrait using etching techniques. During the Dutch Golden Age, self-portraits were not just about appearances; they served as powerful statements of identity and artistic skill. In this small, intensely personal work, Rembrandt explores his own image, using shadow and light to convey depth, but also, perhaps, to cloak something. Consider the gaze, which meets yours directly, challenging the viewer to truly see him. What does it mean for an artist to represent themselves? Rembrandt was prolific, and he captured himself across many emotional states. This was at a time when artists were rising in social status. What does it mean to see oneself as worthy of representation? How might this mirror broader shifts in Dutch society and its growing sense of self-importance?