Man Reading

For centuries, this painting was thought to portray an individual, but recent research suggests it may be a tronie-a type of image in which seventeenth-century Dutch artists explored facial expressions and costumes. The richly textured surface and the contrast of warm light and soft shadows are typical of paintings by Rembrandt and his students, who learned the master's techniques by copying his work. For a time, the work was considered a product of the artist's followers, but has recently been attributed to Rembrandt himself.

Credit: Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark before 1955