Bust of an Elderly Man in a Flat Cap

Rembrandt van Rijn

National Gallery of Art

This drawing is a sketch of an elderly man from the chest up, shown in profile, facing the right. He has deep-set eyes, a small nose, thin, downturned lips, and a soft chin covered by curved lines suggesting a beard. He wears a large wide-brimmed hat that casts a dark shadow on his face, as well as a loose garment over his shoulders and chest. His left arm is held up to his chest and appears to have cloth draped over it. The background is plain, and the drawing is executed with dark lines on textured beige paper.