(b. 1606, Leiden, d. 1669, Amsterdam)

Man Sharpening a Quill 1632 Oil on canvas, 102 x 82 cm Staatliche Museen, Kassel

This portrait of a middle-aged man was one of Rembrandt's first commissions after he had moved to Amsterdam. The subject's identity has not yet been established, but the man sitting in an armchair in front of his desk is evidently a scholar or a writer. He is wearing the costume of the day, a deep-brown jacket with open pendant sleeves, beneath which we see the long closed sleeves of the undergarment, and a white ruff held together by a thin red ribbon that can just be seen under the subject's chin. In his hands he holds a feather and a pen-knife.

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Author: REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn Title: Man Sharpening a Quill Time-line: 1601-1650 School: Dutch Form: painting