A Young Man with a Chain

c. 1629 or 1632

and Studio

Culture

Netherlands

Medium

oil on wood

Measurements

Framed: 83.8 x 69.9 x 12.7 cm (33 x 27 1/2 x 5 in.); Unframed: 57.8 x 43.8 cm (22 3/4 x 17 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of John L. Severance 1942.644

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Location

213 Dutch Painting

Did You Know?

Once identified as Rembrandt himself, the sitter is now considered an anonymous study of human character.

Description

This painting is an example of a tronie, a Dutch word meaning “head” or “facial expression.” Tronies were not intended to be identifiable portraits, but artistic investigations of facial appearance and fanciful costume. Particularly in the years around 1630, Rembrandt used this popular format to explore different lighting effects and facial expressions. Here, the strong contrast of light and shade shapes the contours of the young man’s face; unusual accessories such as the striped scarf and glittering pendant on a jeweled chain add an exotic touch. Although this painting bears Rembrandt’s monogram, the authorship is not certain. Some scholars have attributed it to Isaac de Joudreville (1613–1648), a pupil and associate of Rembrandt who painted comparable tronies in a similarly smooth and elegant style.