Rembrant: Self-Portrait 1659

Rembrandt: self-portrait 1659

Here is the story (I'll paraphrase):

In the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC hangs this nondescript portrait. Everyday at 12pm, a business man walked in to the gallery to stand in front of the painting to soak it in. He passed his lunch seemingly alone (to others viewing the exhibits), but the museum curies know better. When a piece of art reaches someone, that person is in no way alone; contrarily, he or she is connected with the subject, the artist, other people who have devoured the significance of the image, and the message itself. This ritualistic noon hour spent by the man continued for years.

One day, the museum received a colossal anonymous donation (which was, in and of itself, odd because most large donations would result in the subsequent naming of a wing or bench after the donor). The 50 million dollar gift was attached to an unpretentious note that indicated that the museum and, specifically, a certain piece was the inspiration. This 350 year-old self-portrait had changed his perspective, his career, his character, and his life on the whole. The donor had learned lessons of a lifetime from the piece and hoped that the donation would go on to allow others to have similar experiences with that and other masterpieces of art that are openly viewable by the public. Museum administration did not know who made the donation, but those employees who had watched the businessman did not doubt the source.

Here are my thoughts:

Surely many people pass this self-portrait in the capital of our nation without receiving the same poignant touching as the businessman. I hoped to not be guilty of missing this point once I heard the story, so I have sought and reflected on the piece. To some, a self-portrait might seem a selfish piece of art, as the artist creates a perception of him/herself which could last forever. “Here am I, and you better not forget it,” so to speak. The surface glance at a self-portrait generally shows the skill of the artist – and suffice it to say that Rembrandt masterfully acquired (or was blessed with more likely) the ability to render his own likeness. His control of light and color accentuate the polarity of blurred lines versus clarity, and thus focuses the eyes of the viewer directly on the facial expression. Herein lay the emotion and message at hand. The piece is larger than 2 ft X 3 ft, but somehow, our eyes stay on the 10% of the painted area of his face. We see dark, strong eyes, the wrinkles and muscle structure of an aged man, and light reflecting from the forehead and orbital bones. The mouth is nondiscriminatory. Simple, right? Like any other portrait or family photo or myspace pic? No, not this time. The truth is that the painting was completed not for Rembrandt to be forever famous and known, but in fact for the potential benefit of the viewer. Look again at his eyes. Can you not sense some sort of communication in them? They are as effective as fishhooks in a stocked lake. “Hey, come over here and listen, I have a story for you.” It is as if he has something for each of us if we will but only allow ourselves to be pulled in to extract it.

Rembrandt painted hundreds of self-portraits throughout his career. As a young man and a skilled artist, many of his early portraits showed him as a high member of society, clearly being recognized by those around him, and with far less emotion than is visible herein. He was in the process of learning his life lessons, but was a superstar, a veritable Michael Jordan of his day. With this fame and notoriety, came also difficulty. Like anything that polarizes, experiences can make a person softer or harder. They demand us to go one way or the other. Rembrandt experienced sickness, struggle, heartbreak, daily trials, failure, pain and death from various situations he encountered. He graduated from his prima donna days, and REMEMBERED his lessons learned, and as result, he acquired wisdom, compassion, and empathy. Can you see those? He is softer now. This portrait is not for us to know what Rembrandt looked like, but for us to see the lessons he learned during his 62 years on earth. Like a wise grandfather whose life has become a legacy, he offers counsel and advice. “You will survive the hardships of life if your character is strong,” or, “Try some humility while you fight your battles,” and, “Whatever happens to those around you, let your experiences teach you.” He remembered his lessons from his experiences and from his mistakes as well. Do we? Do I?

In this face, I do not see 'alone.' Alone is a condition that many fight as they search for someone, people who really love them, or perhaps something more inanimate. Once in a song, I wrote that I thought a certain girl (fleeting infatuation – she is married now (not to me (ha))) would be able to help me “cure my alone.” A play on words that makes me now sound more desperate than I think I meant to. This is not to say that I am not surrounded by people, but I am talking about the kind of cure that was my father for my mother or peanut butter for grape jelly (I need to go to sleep). In their case, the summed value of the two is greater than individual strength of the each. Here it has been solved by the life of Rembrandt. He is content in his environment, and only aches for one thing – communication to you and me about what he knows now.

How it affected me recently:

This year has been full of unique trials for me as people around me have experienced hardships beyond those which I thought I was able to comprehend. Some of those people might be you if you are still reading (bored?). It is hard for me to be forced to accept that I can only do so much for those around me, but I hurt for those that hurt and pray for those that are in need. Very importantly, I have appreciated the opportunities and blessings that I have in my life – notably health, protection of my family, loyal friends who keep in close contact, and the chance to grow into a career that enjoy. For that, I am inexplicably grateful.

Sickness, complication, disease, pain, anxiety, and death will affect us and those around us at various times during our lives. We do get the chance to choose how to respond to those bad days, weeks, months, etc. We can get angry and hardened as the difficult parts of life wage war against he strengths we think we had or be softened and look for chances to help others and receive the support that they can offer. I think those are lessons from the portrait, and that they are worth more than 50 million dollars or any donation, because our experience is our treasure. My treasure map has been bent and folded somewhat this year as I am certain is the case for most everyone, but the X-marking the spot of my goal has not been affected. This portrait has become an anthem of sorts for me as I seek growth on various paths. I hope that I do not forget this and that everyone can find something that inspires them similarly. A mountain landscape, a fishing spot, a spiritual location, literature, or a relationship could function this way. Here is to growth and conquering and being a few steps ahead of yesterday everyday! Happy seeking to all.