15
SELF-PORTRAIT WITH TWO CIRCLES, C.1665-’69 When Rembrandt’s mistress, Hendrickje Stoffels, died in 1663, he was unable even to pay the rent for her grave. This vulnerable self-portrait – painted in his final years – shows all the signs of his suffering. And yet, there’s no self-pity here. The artist sits ramrod straight, his gaze defiant, confronting his sorrows instead of hiding from them. The marks of wealth – a gold chain and fur-trimmed coat – are ethereal, rendered by swift, summarising strokes, and in stark contrast to his modest white cap. The paint brushes clutched in the artist’s left hand suggest an obstinacy: he would continue to paint in defiance of his critics as long as his energy levels permitted.
FROM THE LATE 1650S UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1669, REMBRANDT WORKED TIRELESSLY TO CREATE AN EXPRESSIVE NEW STYLE OF PAINTING, WHICH REQUIRED HIM TO DEVELOP ALL KINDS OF NEW PAINTING TECHNIQUES, MANY OF THEM STILL CONSIDERED REVOLUTIONARY TODAY.