Aristotle with a Bust of Homer

A painting for a Sicilian collector

In 1653, Rembrandt painted a philosopher with his hand resting on a bust of the poet Homer. It was commissioned by Don Antonio Ruffo, a nobleman from Messina in Sicily. The figure is usually identified as Aristotle.

The painting belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which bought it in 1961 for a then-record price.

A thinker lost in reflection

Aristotle wears a broad black hat and looks away, his face half in shadow. His expression is thoughtful and melancholy, as if he were weighing fame, wisdom and wealth.

His hand on Homer

His right hand rests on a marble bust of the blind poet Homer. The bust is lit softly, its stone surface painted with great subtlety. The philosopher seems to seek contact with the poet of an earlier age.

A gold chain

Across his body hangs a heavy gold chain with a medallion, often thought to show Alexander the Great, Aristotle’s pupil. His left hand touches it. The contrast between worldly reward and the poet’s lasting fame is often read as the subject of the painting.

His wide white sleeves are painted with thick, rapid strokes that catch the light.

Questions about Aristotle with a Bust of Homer

Who commissioned it?

Don Antonio Ruffo of Messina, in 1653.

Where is it?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Whose medallion is on the chain?

It is often thought to show Alexander the Great.

How large is it?

About 143.5 × 136.5 centimetres, oil on canvas.

Sources and image credit

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Aristotle with a Bust of Homer
• Wikimedia Commons: Aristotle with a Bust of Homer

Public-domain reproduction of Aristotle with a Bust of Homer (1653), via Wikimedia Commons (Google Art Project). Detail images are crops of the same historical painting; no reconstruction or upscaling.