The Artist in his Studio (Rembrandt Van Rijn c.1628)

This painting portraits the probably young painter working in his studio. The remarkable detail in this painting is the face of the painter. The face seems covered with a mask. And if Rembrandt didn't make that painting in the 17th century, I would swear that the painter's face is covered by using plastic or some other synthetic material. The face of the painter is black, like two bites of carbon. And that will bring the demonic or mysterious aspect in that painting. 

Sometimes I have asked myself, that is it possible that the famous cartoonist Hérge has got the idea for the face of his famous cartoon character Tintin from the painter, who is acting as the model in this painting. Sometimes that character seemed a little bit scary like a "vampire". Because the skin is white and the eyes are weird. But otherwise, he seems kind. 

Or maybe the painter is not a demonic character. But he is very mystic. What does he think? And the major question, that rises in my head is, does that person know about observer? Or is Rembrandt made that portrait without the permission of the model? The faces of the painter are interesting because Rembrandt is usually accurate about finishing the faces. Why Rembrandt left faces without finishing?

The question is who is acting as a model for that painting? It's hard to estimate the age of the model because the face is somehow synthetic. But the small size and some other details are telling that the painter is quite young. Rembrandt might paint that person by using mirrors or camera obscura. And there is the possibility that the orderer of that painting has asked Rembrandt to hide the painter's identity.