Self-Portrait with Long Bushy Hair: Head Only c. 1631

Curator: Here we have Rembrandt van Rijn's "Self-Portrait with Long Bushy Hair: Head Only" from the collections of the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's a very intimate image; the face seems etched with a world-weariness. Curator: Indeed, and crafted meticulously via etching. The lines, the very material of the print, seem to define his psychological state. There's a tangible link to Rembrandt's labor in each stroke. Editor: The hair, wild and unkempt, acts as a halo of sorts, a symbol of his artistic genius perhaps, or maybe a nod to his inner turmoil. Curator: Or simply how his hair looked that day. It’s about recording the physical realities of his existence. Editor: Fair enough, but the tilt of the head, the somber eyes...it speaks to the weight of existence. Curator: An existence, we must remember, defined by the demands of the market and the availability of materials. Editor: I see the man looking back across the centuries. Curator: And I see the means that allowed him to do so. Editor: A fascinating intersection, then, of tangible craft and intangible spirit.