Rembrandt’s painting, “Self Portrait at the Age of 34,” on loan from the National Gallery in London, is on display at the Norton Simon Museum Friday through March 5 — the first time it’s been on American soil.

Born in Leiden, Netherlands in 1606, Rembrandt was a well-rounded artist, painting, printmaking and drawing. He lived in Amsterdam from 1631 until his death in 1669. It was there that he created “Self Portrait at the Age of 34” in 1640.

“It is significant on several scores because it was painted at a time when he was very successful, and that’s acknowledged in a number of clues in the painting,” Norton Simon Museum curator Gloria Williams said, referencing his dress and pose.

Preview of the new loan of Rembrandt’s “Self Portrait at the Age of 34,” a masterpiece on loan from the National Gallery of London. It’s making its US debut right here in Pasadena Thursday, December 7, 2017. (Photo by Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Preview of the new loan of Rembrandt’s “Self Portrait at the Age of 34,” a masterpiece on loan from the National Gallery of London. It’s making its US debut right here in Pasadena Thursday, December 7, 2017. (Photo by Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Sound The gallery will resume in seconds

Gloria Williams, Curator of Norton Simon Museum, discussing ‚ “Self Portrait at the Age of 34”, by Rembrandt van Rijn ( Dutch 1606-1669) Thursday, December 7, 2017. Preview of the new loan of Rembrandt‚ Self Portrait at the Age of 34, a masterpiece on loan from the National Gallery of London. (Photo by Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)



‘It’s also a time when Amsterdam was the center of the European art market and Rembrandt was a huge collector in his own right,” Williams said, “so he frequented the auctions and he also frequented the growing collections in the city.”

Rembrandt created between 80-100 self-portraits in various media, but there are only two of his “selfie” paintings in Southern California — one at the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the other at the Norton Simon. In total, the Norton Simon has three Rembrandt paintings and nearly 300 of his other works on paper.

The loan of “Self Portrait at the Age of 34” was made possible through a lending program the Norton Simon has with several institutions. Most recently, the venue hosted Van Gogh’s “Bedroom” from the Art Institute of Chicago and earlier in the year it lent the National Gallery in London “Repentant Magdalene” by Guido Cagnacci, which has since returned and is back on view in Pasadena.

“The works that we receive have resonance with Mr. Simon’s collections. That’s why this Rembrandt was so important, and it was also an opportunity for us to establish a rapport with The National Gallery in London,” Williams said.

In conjunction with the loan, Norton Simon Museum curatorial assistant Casey Lee has pulled together the show, “Rembrandt: Prints ‘of a Particular Spirit,’” a collection of his works created between 1630 and 1640.

“It’s really a close-up, a capsule, of Rembrandt’s life in 10 years time,” Williams said.

If you want to see Rembrandt’s ‘Self Portrait at the Age of 34’

When: noon-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays through March 5

Where: Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

Tickets: $12 adults and $9 seniors through Dec. 31, then $15 adults and $12 seniors and free for students and children 18 and under; free for all 5-8 p.m. on the first Friday of the month.

Information: 626-449-6840, www.nortonsimon.org