Self-Portrait in a Black Cap
Rembrandt van Rijn (1637)
In Self-Portrait in a Black Cap, Rembrandt van Rijn stages himself in <strong>sumptuous fur</strong>, a <strong>black cap</strong>, and a <strong>glinting gold chain</strong>, then cuts the figure from dusk with incisive light. The steady gaze and slightly parted lips meet the viewer while a <strong>gloved hand lifts the chain</strong>, redirecting status back to the artist’s own hand. Painted c. 1637 in oil on oak, the work now has an <strong>arched top</strong> from a later reshaping of the panel <sup>[1]</sup>.