A Man with Curly Hair

In 1631, Rembrandt van Rijn painted this study of a young man whose distinctive curly hair gives the work its title. The subject's face emerges from shadow with the psychological intensity characteristic of Rembrandt's portraits and character studies.

Throughout his career, Rembrandt painted numerous tronies, studies of expressive faces that were not formal portraits but explorations of character types and lighting effects. Such works allowed experimentation with technique while producing saleable pictures. It hangs at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.