Self portrait leaning on a stone sill

Artwork

CreatorRembrandtNameSelf portrait leaning on a stone sillDate Made1639Medium DescriptionEtchingObject NumberLU029Dimensionsactual 210 x 166 mmCredit LinePresented by the Danish Ambassador, on the occasion of the Lincoln College Centennial 1978.Further information'…she argued for a more sensuous, less intellectual approach to art.”

The Sensuous Intellectual: Susan Sontag (1933-2004), Times Magazine

It was some time ago, months before I wrote this, dear readers. As I walked down from the second floor of the dimly lit Ivey Library, under the faint glow of artificial LED lights, I noticed a familiar face in a portrait. It felt like recognizing someone you once knew—a face you could almost miss if you glanced away too quickly.

It wasn’t one of those grand paintings or elaborate sketches by Dalí or Goya that compel you to interpret complex scenes or catch you off guard with surreal scene. Instead, it was a simple black-and-white pencil sketch. Yet, it captured its subject's shadow and essence in a way that felt almost mysterious, shifting subtly like dawn and dusk. A work in its own camp, it was art meant to endure, capable of being both serious and comedic.

I was amazed that this man, who lived in poverty in the Dutch Republic in 1639, could still convey such powerful emotions through his art. And here I was, on the other side of the world, at Lincoln University, still resonating with this single, timeless piece in our library. It’s a unique relic, really. Once in a while, I would visit again and again, look, and take the time to appreciate this piece of art and I hope, dear readers, that you can feel that same connection too.'

—James Budilarto, Bachelor of Science, Individual Major. KeywordsFigures | tāngataBuildings | hangatanga

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Self portrait leaning on a stone sill

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