Rembrandt's Self-Portrait

This beautiful book takes an in-depth look at Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Self-Portrait, Age 23 (1629) by Rembrandt van Rijn and explores her taste for his artistic genius.

Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait will highlight one of the most important paintings in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s collection during its moment at the center of a major exhibition. It will accompany the exhibition The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt (co-organized by The Jewish Museum and the North Carolina Museum of Art) at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (August 6, 2026–January 18, 2027) which includes the Self-Portrait, the only work by Rembrandt not stolen from the Museum in 1990.

Nathaniel Silver, Associate Director and Chief Curator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, explores Isabella Stewart Gardner’s penchant for Rembrandt and the acquisition of this painting as a turning point in her collecting. He also contributes an extended catalogue entry, placing it within Rembrandt’s practice of self-portraiture throughout his career. Lucia Bay, Associate Painting Conservator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, addresses Rembrandt’s technique focusing on select details. The book features stunning new photography, as well as a wealth of archival material.

By Nathaniel Silver, Associate Director and Chief Curator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, with contributions from Lucia Bay, Associate Painting Conservator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
80 pages
Published by Paul Holberton Publishing, 2026
Paperback
9.33 x 7.63 inches