Two African Men by Rembrandt van Rijn was created in 1661. The painting is in Mauritshuis den Haag. The size of the work is 77,8 x 64,4 cm and is made of oil on canvas.
In the Dutch seventeenth century Africans were usually depicted as secondary figures: for example as enslaved individuals of figures in a Bible scene. But here Rembrandt has made them the main subject – presumably these were free men who lived in Amsterdam. Rembrandt painted the men in very thin layers of paint. Although he depicted their faces, like the white shawl, in great detail, many other parts are only sketchily painted. The painting looks like an unfinished study, but the artist signed it: Rembrandt f 1661 – made by Rembrandt in 1661. Read more in Mauritshuis den Haag.
About the Artist: Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman Rembrandt was born on 15 July 1606 in Leiden, in the Dutch Republic, now the Netherlands. As a boy, he attended a Latin school. At the age of 13, he was enrolled at the University of Leiden, although according to a contemporary he had a greater inclination towards painting. In 1624 or 1625, Rembrandt opened a studio in Leiden, which he shared with friend and colleague Jan Lievens. In 1627, Rembrandt began to accept students, which included Gerrit Dou in 1628 and Isaac de Jouderville… Read more
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