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What makes this painting a monument to Western culture?

"The central problem of Western civilization is reduced to one guy who’s got to puzzle it out for himself."
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"The central problem of Western civilization is reduced to one guy who’s got to puzzle it out for himself."

Curator Walter Liedtke on "Aristotle with a Bust of Homer" by Rembrandt.

Explore this object:
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Throughout 2013, The Met invited curators from across the Museum to each talk about one artwork that changed the way they see the world. Each episode is interpreted by a Museum photographer.

Photography by Juan Trujillo

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Art Mentioned

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Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) Dutch, Oil on canvas
Aristotle with a Bust of Homer
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn)
1653