Portrait of a Seated Woman with Her Hands Clasped

This powerfully expressive portrayal of an aged woman captures the essence of Rembrandt’s late style of painting and his ability to convey the depth of the human soul. It was likely not intended as a commissioned portrait, but rather a character study in which Rembrandt was able to evoke the woman’s individuality in body and spirit. His bold brushwork not only captures the irregularities of the sitter’s physical features¬—the slight cleft in her chin, small mouth, and broad nose—but also her formidable psychological presence. As evident in her face and weathered hands, strokes of all types and colors merge, blend, and overlay in ways that defy description.

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