Jan Lievens: Portrait of Rembrandt van Rijn (1632); Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Although he seems somewhat forgotten nowadays, Jan Lievens (1607–1674) was a celebrated artist in his own time. Lievens was a child prodigy who grew up in Leiden, one of the leading trade cities in 17th-century Holland. His talents for drawing, print making and painting were already acknowledged by the important connoisseurs and patrons of his time when he was only a teenager. This strong appreciation eventually resulted in numerous important commissions from both within the Netherlands and abroad. Lievens left for England at the age of twenty-five, joining the court of Charles I. He later moved to Antwerp and ended his career in Amsterdam.
When he was young, Jan Lievens was closely befriended to Rembrandt van Rijn, who also grew up in Leiden and was only a year older. At first, Rembrandt seemed to be less promising and innovative than Lievens, but later on they would become severe rivals. The character of their relation remains uncertain, but it is assumed that they shared a studio and worked together. In any case, it’s clear that they had a strong mutual influence. For that reason, their works have often been attributed abusively to one another. Lievens and Rembrandt were both ambitious; they were interested in the same ‘modern’ artists (in particular Rubens and Caravaggio) and experimented with similar techniques.
One of those techniques, scratching details in wet paint to attain a more ‘vivid’ effect, is unmistakably present in Rembrandt’s curls in this touching portrait by Jan of his art brother. The painting was made only three years before their paths would part indefinitely, in search of greater fame. Rembrandt went to Amsterdam, Lievens left for London.