Portrait of Gerard de Lairesse

Portrait of Gerard de Lairesse by Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn): Robert Lehman Collection, 1975

What to notice

Study the illuminated face and hands against the dark field, then notice how the sitter’s patterned robe and steady gaze assert dignity without idealizing his features.

Discover

Rembrandt painted Gerard de Lairesse around 1665–67 in oil on canvas. The sitter, himself a painter and theorist, appears with individualized features, a steady gaze, and richly patterned clothing illuminated against a dark ground.