Man in Oriental Clothing, painting by Rembrandt van Rijn
Summary
Rembrandt plays with light in a singular manner. Here it floods the man’s turban and the right side of his face like a powerful spotlight. The left side remains in shadow. Such character-like heads – not portraits – were popular in the 17th century. Called ‘Turkish tronies’, they were widely copied and imitated from an early date.
Tags
Date
1635
Source
Rijksmuseum
Copyright info
Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication ("CCO 1.0 Dedication")