Aristotle with a Bust of Homer
1653 · Oil on canvas
Dimensions 56 1/2 x 53 3/4 in. (143.5 x 136.5 cm)
Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Credit Purchase, special contributions and funds given or bequeathed by friends of the Museum, 1961
Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) rests his hand reflectively on a bust of Homer, the blind epic poet of the Iliad and the Odyssey. A medallion representing Alexander the Great, whom Aristotle tutored, hangs from the heavy gold chain. The philosopher contemplates material rewards as opposed to spiritual values, with the play of light and shadow on his features suggesting the motions of his mind. Painted for the great Sicilian collector Antonio Ruffo, the picture also refers to Aristotle's comparison of touch and sight as a means of acquiring knowledge. For further discussion of this work, see metmuseum.org/collections.
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About this artwork
Aristotle with a Bust of Homer (1653) by Rembrandt, oil on canvas, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.
About Rembrandt
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669) was a Dutch draughtsman, painter, and printmaker. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art and the most important in Dutch art history.
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