“This captivating portrait by Rembrandt draws you into the quiet world of a young girl, showcasing the artist's masterful use of light to reveal inner emotion.”
A young girl gazes out from the canvas, her expression soft and perhaps a little melancholic. Her face is illuminated by a subtle light, typical of the Dutch Golden Age, that emphasizes the delicate modeling of her features and the gentle curve of her cheek. The dark background allows her face to emerge with a striking immediacy, drawing the viewer's full attention to her quiet presence. This intimate portrait, painted around 1645, captures a moment of youthful introspection. The artist, working in Amsterdam during a period of great prosperity and artistic innovation, often explored the human condition through such direct and unidealized portrayals. The simplicity of the composition and the focus on the girl's inner world invite a contemplative connection.
- Artist
- Rembrandt
- Date
- 1645
- Location
- Leiden Collection
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The subtle blush on her cheeks, suggesting youth and vitality.
The way light catches the wisps of hair escaping her cap.
The soft, diffused light that highlights the bridge of her nose.
The delicate rendering of her lips, slightly parted as if about to speak.
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Rembrandt
1606–1669 · Dutch RepublicRembrandt painted ~40 self-portraits across his life, creating history's most intimate visual autobiography.
Further Works by Rembrandt
Lieven Willemsz van Coppenol (born about 1599, died 1671 or later)
1626 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Musical Company
1626 · Museum De Lakenhal
Apostle Peter
1629 · Nationalmuseum
Head of an Old Man in a Cap
1629 · Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Minerva
1631 · Gemäldegalerie Berlin
Old Man with a Gold Chain
1631 · Art Institute of Chicago
Young Man with a Plumed Hat
1631 · Toledo Museum of Art
Bathsheba at her toilet, seen by King David
1632 · Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes
More from Dutch Golden Age painting
More works to explore
Beyond Rembrandt and Dutch Golden Age painting: works from the same years.
Same era · 1630s–1660s
The Little Street
Johannes Vermeer · 1658 · Rijksmuseum
Same era · 1630s–1660s
Paulus Verschuur (1606–1667)
Frans Hals · 1643 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1630s–1660s
The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis
Peter Paul Rubens · 1636 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1630s–1660s
An Elegant Company
Samuel Alcock & Company · 1632 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1630s–1660s
Portrait of Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxony-Gotha-Altenburg
Salomon Duarte · 1650 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
Same era · 1630s–1660s
The Denial of Saint Peter
Georges de La Tour · 1650 · Nantes Museum of Arts
Same era · 1630s–1660s
Saint Romanus of Antioch and Saint Barulas
Master of the View of Saint Gudula · 1638 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1630s–1660s
Portrait of a man
Willem van der Vliet · 1634 · Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
Same era · 1630s–1660s
Two Deformed Heads with Very Long Upper Lips
Leonardo da Vinci · 1645 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1630s–1660s
Abraham and Isaac
Rembrandt van Rijn · 1645 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1630s–1660s
Tree Peonies in Full Bloom
Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1644 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1630s–1660s
Portrait of Edouard Molé
Robert Nanteuil · 1653 · Art Institute of Chicago


