Self Portrait, Rembrandt

This self-portrait was relatively early in his career, 1628-29, not long after Rembrandt accepted his first student. Frequently the perfection of Rembrandt is cited, his realism, his mimetic ability, but what I love most about his work is how he handled the paint particularly in his self-portraits.  Look at his ear and the hair, I have a detail below, the form evaporates into the mark. Look at the detail from his 1661 self portrait, the line of his youthful hair gives way to paint as material.

Rembrandt, Self Portrait as a Young Man, 1628-29

detail, Self Portrait as a Young Man 

detail from self portrait 1661