Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1630
Gallery mode Full size at the museum

Window mode follows your eyes with your camera, in this browser only: no picture or position leaves your device.

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem

Also titled Jeremia treurend over de verwoesting van Jeruzalem

Rembrandt van Rijn (Leiden, 1606–1669)

1630

Medium
panel, oil paint (paint)
Classification
painting
Dimensions
height 58 cm x width 46 cm
Museum
Rijksmuseum
Credit line
Purchased with the support of private collectors, the Vereniging Rembrandt and the Stichting tot Bevordering van de Belangen van het Rijksmuseum
Rights
Public Domain Mark, as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Teens profiles and older: its museum says too little about what it shows to place it for younger viewers. How works are placed

View at the Rijksmuseum

About this work

The crestfallen Prophet Jeremiah rests his weary, old head on his hand. He laments Jerusalem going up in flames – in the background – whose destruction he had prophesied. Rembrandt heightened the sense of drama with powerful contrasts of light and dark. He derived the prophet’s bearded head from one of the old men he often etched around this time.