Rembrandt van Rijn
God the Father Supported by Angels, ca. 1656–58
Pen and ink on paper
7 15/16 x 5 1/4 inches (20.1 x 13.3 cm)
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Widener Collection, 1942
Rembrandt elaborates the figure of God from a related drawing (on loan from Dresden), now detailing his beard and hollowed cheeks. The two cherubim exert great effort to support the weight of his body. Long, fluid strokes suggest the flowing, windswept drapery of the three figures as they move through the air.