Self-Portrait

Jan Lievens's Self-Portrait (1629) was painted when the artist was approximately twenty-two years old, at the height of his early fame as a prodigious talent working in Leiden alongside Rembrandt. Constantijn Huygens, the influential Secretary of State to the Dutch Stadtholder, visited both artists in 1629 and wrote a celebrated account describing Lievens as perhaps the more naturally talented of the two young geniuses. The self-portrait captures this moment of early ambition and self-confidence, presenting the artist with a directness and psychological presence that announces his artistic ambitions. The Leiden Collection, assembled specifically to reassemble the works of the young Rembrandt and his circle, owns this important document of early Dutch genius.

Lievens presents himself in a confident frontal pose, using warm Rembrandtesque lighting to model the face with strong chiaroscuro. His brushwork is assured and economical, with the dark background concentrating attention on the illuminated face. The self-scrutinizing gaze is intense and purposeful.