Study of an old man (Rembrandt's father)

Study of an Old Man Traditionally Called Rembrandt's Father from 1630, in the Mauritshuis, is one of the most frequently reproduced of the early Leiden head studies because the traditional identification — however uncertain — adds a layer of personal resonance to what might otherwise be documented as an anonymous character study. Harmen Gerritsz van Rijn, Rembrandt's father, was a Leiden mill owner who had died in 1630, the year this painting was made, suggesting that if the identification is correct the work may postdate the sitter's death. The rendering of an elderly bearded man's face in low sidelight was among the most persistent preoccupations of Rembrandt's early production, and works like this — whether of family members or anonymous elderly models — provided the technical foundation for the later apostle portraits and biblical patriarchs. The Mauritshuis holds the panel alongside its companion study of an old woman traditionally called his mother, preserving the family identification that has become central to their popular reception.

Rembrandt renders the old man's features with concentrated attention, using strong directional light to reveal the textures of aged skin and the character lines of a lived face.