Twenty Years Later Rembrandt Painted Another ...

Twenty years later Rembrandt painted another picture of himself. As a young man he determined to deny himself no pleasure. He, therefore, sought out every delight and followed his appetite. Hence, one by one the torches of his life went out. Having been untrue to himself, he lost faith in others. In middle age we see the artist shrunken, an old rag around his throat, weakness in his chin, the mark of the beast upon his brow, the eyes heavy and dull, without vision or beauty. There are two pictures. The second shows the result of sin. His body was ruined by his own wickedness. In his youth he lived for his own ideals and for God. Twenty years later, after living for self and sin, the lights had gone out of his life. His body was a noble mansion given over to darkness and decay.