Self-portraits in chronological order

It is particularly interesting if the various stages of the creative renewal of an artist can be followed on self-portraits so that the change in style and the change in maturity can be studied simultaneously. From this point of view Rembrandt's self-portraits are without parallel. They are the inexhaustibly rich documents of a human and artistic self-examination lasting a lifetime. In the art of the self-portrait Rembrandt exerted the greatest influence on those painters who rejected the solemn pomp of the Baroque and endeavoured to tell the truth simply and without external trappings.

It is impossible to say how many self-portraits Rembrandt made, for any estimate depends on the definition of what does and what does not belong to his oeuvre. All in all, with the drawings and prints included, Rembrandt must have recorded his own likeness at least 85 times.

The self-portraits served various purposes. Some of them show him playing a role (a hunter, the Prodigal Son, Apostle Paul, etc.). On several occasions he posed as an artist, or as a painter in his studio.