Rembrandt van Rijn - A Young Man with a Chain 1629-1632

Rembrandt van Rijn - Old Woman in Prayer 1629-1630 Rembrandt van Rijn - Saint Paul at his Writing-Desk 1629-1630 Rembrandt van Rijn - The Laughing Man 1629-1630 Rembrandt van Rijn - Portrait of a Young Man 1629-1632 Rembrandt van Rijn - A Beggar Sitting in an Elbow Chair 1630< Rembrandt van Rijn - A Beggar Sitting on a Hollock, with his Mouth Open 1630 Rembrandt van Rijn - A Beggar Standing, Seen in Profile to the Left 1630
Rembrandt van Rijn - Portrait of a Young Man 1629-1632

A Young Man with a Chain, 1629-1632
57x43cm oil/panel
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
The image is only being used for informational and educational purposes

<< Previous G a l l e r y Next >>

From Cleveland Museum of Art:
This painting is an example of a tronie, a Dutch word meaning “head” or “facial expression.” Tronies were not intended to be identifiable portraits, but artistic investigations of facial appearance and fanciful costume. Particularly in the years around 1630, Rembrandt used this popular format to explore different lighting effects and facial expressions. Here, the strong contrast of light and shade shapes the contours of the young man’s face; unusual accessories such as the striped scarf and glittering pendant on a jeweled chain add an exotic touch. Although this painting bears Rembrandt’s monogram, the authorship is not certain. Some scholars have attributed it to Isaac de Joudreville (1613–1648), a pupil and associate of Rembrandt who painted comparable tronies in a similarly smooth and elegant style.