Self-portrait

Ferdinand Bol's Self-Portrait from 1669, in the Rijksmuseum, shows the former Rembrandt pupil at the height of his success as one of Amsterdam's leading portraitists and history painters. Bol had been one of Rembrandt's most talented students in the 1630s and built a highly successful career that culminated in prestigious public commissions and a wealthy second marriage. The self-portrait presents him as a gentleman-artist, reflecting the social ascent that accompanied his artistic success.

The portrait combines Rembrandtesque techniques of warm chiaroscuro with a smoother, more polished finish that Bol developed as he moved away from his master's influence. The confident pose and elegant costume project the image of established prosperity.