Rembrandt van Rijn
We continue our special month with The Rembrandt House Museum with this fantastic portrait of Rembrandt.
This portrait of the reformed preacher Eleazar Swalmius (1582-1652) has for a long time been attributed to a follower of Rembrandt. Originally it had been attributed to Rembrandt, but a leading Rembrandt expert had raised some doubt about its authenticity in 1969. The painting was covered with a thick, darkened layer of varnish. The colours had lost all their radiance, causing the doubt whether or not it was an original Rembrandt. The painting ended up in the repository of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where it hung for years.
In 2008 the painting was restored, and the layer of dirty varnish was removed. It worked wonders. The portrait emerged in perfect condition and – most important – Rembrandt’s signature became clearly visible. This beautiful portrait shows the preacher in a deliberately chosen position; his raised hand suggests that he is speaking. This reminds us that the value of a preacher lies within his words, not his painted image. Swalmius is portrayed informally, with a friendly, smiling face. This is not surprising, as Rembrandt and Swalmius were probably friends. Currently, this portrait hangs in Rembrandt’s former living room and bed room, also referred to as ‘the Salon’. If you like DailyArt and our work - please help us and donate!