St. Paul in Prison

The painting shows an elderly, bearded man in a plain robe seated in a dim interior, with his head resting on his hand as he looks toward an open book on his lap. A warm shaft of light from the left illuminates his face and the pages while a stack of books and a sword lie behind him, suggesting study and confinement. The scene employs Rembrandt’s characteristic strong chiaroscuro, with earthy browns, greys, and ochres, and a restrained, textured brushwork that concentrates attention on the figure against a dark background.