Self-Portrait

portrait

The artist, a pupil of Rembrandt, is holding in his hands Rembrandt's etching, "The 100 Guilder Print". It is generally accepted as his self-portrait and as his homage to his teacher, but even if we ignore the fact that this portrait does not show a cross-eyed man - we are told that de Gelder bore his affliction with good humour - the evidence for this identification is flimsy.

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About the Artist

Aert de Gelder

1645 – 1727

Dutch painter, active mainly in his native Dordrecht. After studying there with Hoogstraten, he became one of Rembrandt 's last pupils in Amsterdam. He was not only one of the most talented of Rembrandt's pupils, but also one of his most devoted followers, for he was the only Dutch artist to continue working in his style into the 18th century. His religious paintings, in particular, with their imaginative boldness and preference for oriental types, are very much in the master's spirit, although de Gelder often used colors - such as lilac and lemon yellow - that were untypical of Rembrandt, and his palette was in general lighter. One of his best-known works, Jacob's Dream (Dulwich College Picture Gallery, London), was long attributed to Rembrandt.

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