Self-Portrait as if Shouting

Before Rembrandt, no artist had painted, drawn, or etched his own likeness so often. He posed intermittently glowering, surprised, pensive, and laughing. He famously inserted his face into his history paintings as well, as one in a crowd. These self-portraits helped the young artist study facial expressions and at the same time discover how he wanted to portray himself. Studies such as this one show an unusual degree of self-awareness on Rembrandt's part-and also the value of using oneself as a cheap, easily accessible model. The unruly hair is seen as reflecting his uncontrolled creative genius.