Portrait of Cornelis Claeszoon Anslo and his wife Aaltje Schouten

Rembrandt painted this double portrait of the Mennonite preacher Cornelis Claeszoon Anslo and his wife Aaltje Schouten in 1641, a commission that produced both a painting and an etching. Anslo was celebrated in Amsterdam as a powerful orator, and Rembrandt famously sought to capture the persuasive force of his speech. The Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel challenged Rembrandt to 'paint Anslo's voice,' to which Rembrandt responded by depicting him mid-oration with an open Bible, his wife listening intently. The work is now in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, and ranks among the artist's most psychologically penetrating double portraits.

Rembrandt positions Anslo gesturing toward an open Bible, with his wife turned attentively toward him rather than the viewer—an unusually narrative arrangement for a formal portrait. Rich impasto in the white collar and cuffs contrasts with the deep, transparent shadows of the background. Warm amber light unifies both figures.