Portrait of Gerard de Lairesse

1665–67
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 958
Gerard de Lairesse (1641–1711) was, in his day, a well-known painter, etcher, and art theorist. He suffered from congenital syphilis, which caused him to go blind about 1690; he subsequently focused his energies on art theory. By the time this portrait was painted, in 1665, the ravaging effects of the disease were visible in his swollen features and bulbous nose. Recording his unfortunate appearance with an uncompromising directness, Rembrandt invested his subject with an air of quiet dignity. Although the sitter's theories on the ideal in painting were antithetical to Rembrandt's style, which Lairesse disparagingly likened to "liquid mud on the canvas," the portrayal is a sympathetic one.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of Gerard de Lairesse
  • Artist: Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) (Dutch, Leiden 1606–1669 Amsterdam)
  • Date: 1665–67
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 44 3/8 x 34 1/2 in. (112.7 x 87.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.1.140
  • Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection

Audio

Cover Image for 4780. Portrait of Gerard de Lairesse

4780. Portrait of Gerard de Lairesse

Gallery 964

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This is a portrait of the painter and writer Gerard de Lairesse by Rembrandt. It’s painted in a style that’s typical of late Rembrandt—broad brush strokes, thick paint, and muted, dark tones.

The subject, Gerard de Lairesse, moved to Amsterdam in 1665. Rembrandt painted this portrait a few years later. He’s given Lairesse a quality of dignity and elegance. But look carefully at the ungainly hands, and face, and skin—the mottled irregularity of Rembrandt’s treatment. In fact, Lairesse suffered from hereditary syphilis. Rembrandt has caught the ravaging disease here in the recessed eyes and pockmarked skin. There is a quality of withdrawal or vulnerability in the painting as well, which could be a suggestion of the sitter’s ill health.

Twenty-five years after Rembrandt painted this portrait, Lairesse went blind. Since he could no longer paint, he turned his attention to writing. In 1707, Lairesse wrote an important art historical treatise in which he criticized Rembrandt’s technique. He denounced the artist’s thick brushstrokes and strong contrasts between light and dark. And he referred to Rembrandt’s palette as “liquid mud on the canvas.” There is no indication, however, that Lairesse ever voiced disdain for the sensitive portrait you see here.

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