The painting was titled in the early 19th century, when an Amsterdam art collector identified the subject as that of a Jewish father bestowing a necklace upon his daughter on her wedding day. This interpretation is no longer accepted, however, and the identity of the couple is uncertain. Is it an Old Testament couple? Is it a double portrait of two of Rembrandt’s contemporaries? Maybe it is an historicized portrait, which means that the couple has been immortalized as biblical figures. One thing is certain: it is another art mystery.
The Jewish Bride
oil on canvas • 121.5 cm x 166.5 cm
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Rembrandt van Rijn