Picture of the day

Rembrandt (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669) was a Dutch draughtsman, painter and printmaker. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art and the most important in Dutch art history. Unlike most Dutch masters of the 17th century, Rembrandt's works depict a wide range of style and subject matter, from portraits and self-portraits to landscapes, genre scenes, allegorical and historical scenes, biblical and mythological themes, as well as animal studies. His contributions to art came in a period of great wealth and cultural achievement that historians call the Dutch Golden Age, when Dutch art (especially Dutch painting), although in many ways antithetical to the Baroque style that dominated Europe, was extremely prolific and innovative, giving rise to important new genres. Like many artists of the period, such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt was also an avid art collector and dealer.

This picture is an oil-on-canvas painting, entitled Self-Portrait at the Age of 63, painted by Rembrandt in 1669, the year of his death. It was the last in his long series of self-portraits. The painting is now in the collection of the National Gallery in London.Painting credit: Rembrandt