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."

"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:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437394

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