Rembrandt (Harmensz. van Rijn)
Self-Portrait, 1629
Eichenholz, 15,6 x 12,7 cm
Inv. Nr. 11427
The Deposition
This painting belongs to a series that Rembrandt completed for Governor Frederik Hendrik of Orange. A harsh beam of light strikes the five men who together take down Christ's body from the cross. There is nothing left of a comely body (Isaiah 53, 2): the skin is pale and flaccid, the limbs hang limp and heavy, causing much work for the despairing laborers - an interesting comparison to Rubens' Christ figures! The figure dressed in blue - who also appears in the companion piece "The Raising of the Cross" - has been identified as a self-portrait of the artist.