Artwork
An Old Woman
An Old Woman is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1660, this oil painting by Rembrandt van Rijn portrays an elderly woman rendered with a restrained palette and subdued lighting. The work belongs to the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst, exemplifying the master’s later period focus on intimate, character-driven portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is an aged woman whose lined face and solemn expression convey a sense of lived experience. Clad in a dark garment with a white collar and a modest headscarf, she folds her hands before her, a gesture that reinforces the painting’s contemplative mood and hints at personal piety or resignation.
Technique & Style
Rembrandt employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing the illuminated facial features and hands to emerge from a deep, almost black background. The subtle modulation of tone creates a three‑dimensional presence, while the loose brushwork in the fabric contrasts with the meticulous rendering of skin texture, illustrating the artist’s mature handling of oil.
History & Provenance
The canvas entered the Statens Museum for Kunst’s holdings in the early 20th century, where it has remained on public display. It forms part of a broader corpus of roughly three hundred paintings by Rembrandt, alongside his prolific output of etchings and drawings that span portraiture, landscape, and historical subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
