NATIONAL GALLERY, Rembrandt

Now I'm going to tell you about three paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn, the greatest of the 17th-century Dutch painters. Let's start with the smallest one, which was painted in 1654 and has always been one of the artist's most beloved works: Woman Bathing in a Stream.

With swift, full brushstrokes, Rembrandt depicts a young woman holding up her clothes to bathe in a pond while looking at her reflection. It is a very intimate and spontaneous image, both in her pose and in the artistic techniques used. According to one hypothesis, the girl was Rembrandt's lover. However, the rich red and gold cloak resting on the shore brings to mind a biblical scene with Susanna or Bathsheba, or a mythological depiction of the goddess Diana.

Also in this room, take a look at another Rembrandt painting titled Belshazzar's Feast....