Self-Portrait

Rembrandt van Rijn painted this self-portrait in 1659, the year after losing his house and possessions in bankruptcy. He was 53 years old, and the painting shows the toll of financial and personal hardship. Yet his gaze remains steady, his handling of paint as masterful as ever.

The work was likely among the first Rembrandt completed after moving to a small house on the Rozengracht, in the painters' quarter of Amsterdam. His fortunes were at their lowest. The auction of his property hadn't covered his debts, and his reputation had dimmed from its earlier heights.

Rembrandt created around 80 self-portraits over his lifetime, more than any previous artist. This one hangs at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., showing the artist in a dark beret and turned-up collar, his face emerging from shadow with characteristic honesty.