Old woman reading a lectionary; the so-called portrait of Rembrandt's mother, Neeltgen Willemsdr van Zuijvenbroeck. The old woman is holding in her ha

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Old woman reading a lectionary; the so-called portrait of Rembrandt's mother, Neeltgen Willemsdr van Zuijvenbroeck. The old woman is holding in her hands a book in which a picture illustrates the Gospel of Luke. The book is rendered in such detail that it is easy to see what the woman is reading: the beginning of chapter 19 of the Gospel of Luke. The passage states that those who wish to do good must give away half of all they own to the poor. The old woman’s expensive clothing contrasts sharply with this message: she is still attached to worldly possessions.

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Size: 4536px × 5868px
Photo credit: © Viktor Birkus / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: art, book, clothing, contrasts, domain, dou, dutch, exhibition, expensive, gallery, gerard, gospel, hand, history, illustrates, lectionary, luke, message, mother, museum, netherlands, oil, picture, portrait, public, reading, rembrandts, rijksmuseum, woman