Titus as a Franciscan Friar Rembrandt
Titus as a Franciscan Monk (1660), oil on canvas.
Although Titus was trained as an artist, presumably by Rembrandt, this is not the way his father depicted him. Rather, he shows him engaged in writing, reading and speaking. In the present painting Rembrandt painted him as a Franciscan friar, which cannot have face-value biographical significance. Rembrandt was surrounded by Catholics, and by painting his son in the guise of a monk, he demonstrated personal sympathy for them.
Rembrandt portrayed his son Titus with downcast eyes and wearing a Franciscan habit. The rules of this monastic order prescribed a life of poverty and humility. Indicative of this are the coarse robe and the introspective gaze on the boy’s gaunt face, on which Rembrandt has focussed all his attention. The surroundings, with rocks and bushes, are only summarily suggested.
Visit this artwork at the Rijks museum
This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.
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