Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem

1630

Downcast, the biblical prophet Jeremiah leans his tired head on his hand. He mourns the burning city of Jerusalem (left background), the destruction of which he had predicted. The most important part of the depiction – the figure of Jeremiah – is painted with great precision, while his surroundings are barely worked out. Rembrandt used powerful contrasts of light and shadow to heighten the drama of the scene.