Study of an Old Man

Study of an Old Man from the late 17th century is a work by a Follower of Rembrandt, demonstrating the enormous influence that Rembrandt's style had on Dutch painting in the decades after his death in 1669. The study depicts an old man in the dramatic chiaroscuro manner that Rembrandt developed, using strong contrasts of light and dark to create psychological depth. Works by Followers of Rembrandt are important because they demonstrate how Rembrandt's revolutionary approach to portraiture—his use of chiaroscuro, his psychological penetration, his loose brushwork—was disseminated through the Dutch painting tradition by artists who had studied his work and adopted his methods.

Study of an Old Man is important in the history of Dutch painting because it demonstrates the influence that Rembrandt's style had on Dutch painting in the decades after his death. Rembrandt's revolutionary approach—combining dramatic chiaroscuro with psychological penetration and loose brushwork—was adopted by followers who disseminated his methods throughout the Dutch painting tradition, and this study shows how Rembrandt's style continued to influence Dutch painting long after his death.

Study of an Old Man is a Follower of Rembrandt applying the master's dramatic chiaroscuro and psychological penetration to the subject of an old man. The late 17th century work shows how Rembrandt's revolutionary approach to portraiture was disseminated through the Dutch painting tradition by followers who adopted his methods.