Balaam and the Ass

Rembrandt's Balaam and the Ass shows an elderly Balaam in richly patterned gold and red robes with a white beard, accompanied by a rearing donkey in the foreground. An angel with a raised sword appears on the left, while a rocky landscape and several figures on horseback recede into the background. The composition uses dramatic diagonals and strong chiaroscuro, with a warm, earthy palette that reflects Dutch Baroque painting.