Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar

Among the most psychologically penetrating of Rembrandt's forty-plus self-portraits. Painted in 1659, the artist depicts himself in a fur cloak with clasped hands, bathed in light illuminating his aging face. Created after his bankruptcy in 1656 and the forced sale of his possessions.

The composition echoes Raphael's Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione and Titian's A Man with a Quilted Sleeve, both studied by Rembrandt. Unusually, he turns to the left, showing the right side of his face.

Critics note the work conveys not defeat but hard-won dignity. Owned by Andrew W. Mellon, entered the National Gallery of Art in 1937.