Rembrandt, Self-Portrait at the Age of 63
1669Paintings sorted by Historical period | Painter | Subject matter | Pigments used
Overview
Rembrandt, Self-Portrait at the Age of 63 shows the painter in the last year of his life as an old man but still fully confident and self-assured. The pigment analysis revealed a limited palette consisting of red and yellow ochre, carmine and madder lake, and lead white.
Characterization of this painting by the scientists of the Rembrandt Research Project (1):
“The nature of the London painting’s technique and execution, and its genesis as read from the X-ray image confirms the communis opinio that it is authentic. However, the painting’s present state does not accurately reflect Rembrandt’s intentions in one respect, namely its format, which is not original.”
(1) E. Van De Wetering, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings: The Self-Portraits, Stichting Foundation Rembrandt Research Project, Volume 4, Springer 2005, pp. 570-577.
Medium: oil
Support: canvas
Size: 86 x 70.5 cm
Art period: Baroque
National Gallery London NG221
Painting at Rembrandt Database
Pigments
Pigment Analysis
This pigment analysis is based on the work of the scientists at the National Gallery London (1).
1 Thick impasto on the cheek: lead white tinted with ochres painted over a brown undermodelling.
2 Mid-tones of the reddish coat: light scumble of red ochre and black mixed with some red lake.
3 Dark shadow of the reddish coat: a mixture of red and yellow lake pigments intensified with black.
4 Muted red impasto on the cuff: a sequence of underpaints starting with a brown layer, then a layer of orange-red ochre, and finally a deep red glaze of red ochre and red lake. The upper paint layer consists of a mixture of orange ochre, red and yellow lake, and a little black. Rembrandt employed two different red lakes: carmine cochineal and madder and also stil de grain lake (yellow buckthorn lake).
5 Dark background in the right edge: dark brown pigment containing a little orange ochre.
6 Lighter background above the head: dark brown pigment containing a little orange ochre overpainted with a layer of white mixed with a little red lake and ochres.
References
(1) Bomford, D. et al., Art in the making: Rembrandt, New edition, Yale University Press, 2006, pp. 190-95.
Pigments Used in This Painting
Resources
See the collection of online and offline resources such as books, articles, videos, and websites on Rembrandt in the section ‘Resources on Painters‘
PowerPoint Presentations
Painter in Context: Rembrandt
A richly illustrated presentation on the painting technique and pigments employed by Hieronymus Bosch specially crafted for Art Education. (Number of Slides = 20)
- Each presentation starts with the basic resources on the painter such as his biography, main catalogs of his paintings, and a bibliography.
- Next, you find slides describing the painting technique of the artist and the pigments he usually employed in his work.
- The majority of the slides show examples of paintings containing the specific pigments.
The majority of the slides show important examples of paintings where Rembrandt employed specific pigments. The slides are organized according to the color of the pigments.
Videos
Video: 'Rembrandt: The Power of His Self-Portraits' by National Gallery London
Video: 'Rembrandt's Self Portraits' by Ashmolean Museum
Video: 'Rembrandt by Himself' by Documentary movies
Video: 'Rembrandt's Self-Portraits' by Smarthistory
Video: 'Rembrandt Presents Himself' by Yale University Art Gallery
Publications and Websites
Publications
(1) Bomford, D. et al., Art in the making: Rembrandt, New edition, Yale University Press, 2006, pp. 190-95.
(2) E. Van De Wetering, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings: The Self-Portraits, Stichting Foundation Rembrandt Research Project, Volume 4, Springer 2005, pp. 570-577.
Websites
The Rembrandt Database, Object information, Rembrandt, Self-portrait at the age of 63, National Gallery London
