Jan Six

Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn painted this portrait of his friend and patron Jan Six in 1654, capturing the Amsterdam merchant in a moment of casual action. Six pulls on a glove, preparing to go out, his red cloak thrown over one shoulder and his fair hair beneath a black hat. The informal pose gives the portrait unusual immediacy and life.

Six had lent Rembrandt 1,000 guilders the year before; this portrait may have served as partial repayment. The two men shared intellectual interests and genuine friendship. Some call it the most beautiful portrait ever painted. The work has remained with Six's descendants for nearly four centuries and hangs in the private Six Collection in Amsterdam, occasionally loaned for exhibitions.