By this time, the 59-year-old Rembrandt had become a celebrated painter in Amsterdam, where he was regarded as “the wonder of our age.” So he chose to paint himself as he was: not dressed up like a gentleman in fancy garments but rather, a painter wearing work clothes as if he’s in his studio.

In most self-portraits, he dons a trademark black beret. But here, he’s chosen a white linen cap and a fur-trimmed gown. He’s a great painter and in this three-quarter length frontal portrait, that’s how we get to know him.

But by the time he created this portrait in 1665, Rembrandt had already suffered a whole host of hardships. He was working for his son in order to escape his creditors. He was bankrupt. He had to sell his wife’s grave and he was about to have trouble paying for the grave of his mistress, who would die in the plague.

Rembrandt painted more than 60 self-portraits during his career, including putting himself in historical group portraits or wearing fancy clothes. This painting stands out for its real-life accuracy. And it’s also uncharacteristically unsigned and undated.