Head of Saint Matthew c. early 1660s

Rembrandt van Rijn painted this oil on canvas of Saint Matthew, in the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by unprecedented economic prosperity and cultural flourishing in the Netherlands. Rembrandt, deeply interested in the psychological depth of his subjects, often turned to the Bible for inspiration. In this work, we see an intimate portrayal of Matthew, not as an idealized saint, but as a pensive, working man. Rembrandt often used ordinary people from his surroundings as models, challenging the traditional representations of religious figures, by grounding them in the realities of daily life. The rough brushwork and the use of light and shadow, Rembrandt's signature chiaroscuro, add to the emotional intensity of the piece. The artist invites us to reflect on the human aspects of faith and the notion that holiness can be found in the everyday.