Rembrandt - Marten Looten [1632]

Rembrandt - Marten Looten [1632], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Interrupted from reading a document, his lips slightly parted as if speaking, Marten Looten (1586–1649) turns to address a visitor. Looten, a prosperous grain merchant in Amsterdam, wears the conservative black clothing favoured by members of the Mennonite Church. Rembrandt positioned Looten’s arms, cape, and hat to enhance the impression of three-dimensional form. Painted shortly after his arrival in Amsterdam, Portrait of Marten Looten marks Rembrandt’s introduction of a new, dynamic approach to portraiture, in which the subject interacts with the viewer.

[Oil on panel, 92.71 x 76.2 cm]