Rembrandt – Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem is the painting Rembrandt made in 1630, aged 24: an old prophet sits in a cave on a rocky slope, his head propped on his hand, a golden vessel and books before him, while far below a city burns. The original, oil on panel, is 58 cm high and 46 cm wide and hangs in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. We paint it by hand in oil on canvas in 8 portrait sizes, from 40 x 49 to 150 x 195 cm, or to your own measurement, and show it to you in a photograph before dispatch.

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem – Rembrandt

What does Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem show?

At the foot of a massive column sits a bearded old man in a long cloak, his left elbow on a thick volume, his head in his hand. The Rijksmuseum describes a golden bowl, a jug and books lying beside him on a stone, sacred objects from the destroyed temple.

Far off at the lower left the burning buildings of the city and soldiers can be seen. According to Wikipedia the edge of the book reads BiBeL, and Rembrandt chose his father as the model.

What is the story behind the painting?

The prophet Jeremiah had foretold the fall of Jerusalem, and in 586 BC the Babylonians did destroy the city and burn the temple. According to Wikipedia the gold before him is read as the gift he received from the Babylonian commander on his release.

The title does not date from Rembrandt’s time. At an auction in 1767 the old man was taken for Lot watching Sodom burn; the details, Wikipedia says, point to Jeremiah.

Why is the painting so admired?

Because it is one of the finest works of Rembrandt’s Leiden years. The grief here is not in tears but in the posture: in the tired head, in the hand hanging down, in the gaze that does not look at the fire.

Light falls on the prophet’s face, cloak and gold, and everything else sinks into darkness. The story of the title is told in the Wikipedia article on the painting.

Where is the original, and how did it get there?

In the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, object number SK-A-3276. It carries the monogram RHL and the date 1630.

For a long time it belonged to the Counts Stroganov in St Petersburg; the Rijksmuseum bought it in 1939 with the support of private donors, the Vereniging Rembrandt and the Dutch state.

Jeremiah or another Rembrandt?

Jeremiah suits a library, a study or a quiet reading corner, for anyone who loves thoughtful faces. A thoughtful man with gold also appears in Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, and from the same Leiden years comes The Raising of Lazarus.

Another early work is The Flight into Egypt, and ruins under a stormy sky appear in Stormy Landscape. More famous Rembrandt paintings are on the Rembrandt page.

How does our painter paint your Jeremiah?

This Rembrandt reproduction begins with the face and the hand the prophet leans on. In oil on canvas the painter first lays in the dark cave and the column, then builds up the light on the cloak.

The most exacting work is the gold bowl, the jug and the embroidery of the carpet, where every glint has to sit right. An oil painting reproduction like this has glowing gold that a paper print does not reach.

Which size is right for your room?

In short: 40 x 49 or 48 x 60 cm for a bookshelf or a narrow wall, 60 x 78 or 69 x 85 cm above a desk, 85 x 110 and 110 x 135 cm for the living room, and 120 x 155 and 150 x 195 cm for a large wall.

There are 8 portrait sizes (width x height): 40 x 49, 48 x 60, 60 x 78, 69 x 85, 85 x 110, 110 x 135, 120 x 155 and 150 x 195 cm. The original is only 58 cm high, so 48 x 60 cm is almost its size. As a painting for the living room above a sideboard, 85 x 110 cm works well.

Keep the prophet’s face at about eye level and the centre around 150 cm from the floor.

Can I choose another size or a frame?

Yes. The original is roughly 4 : 5 in proportion; in that ratio the column, the prophet and the burning city all stay on the canvas. Tell us the size you want for Jeremiah and we will quote a price and a delivery date.

We send Jeremiah rolled, on a stretcher bar or framed; our workshop in Slovenia prepares every canvas painting. You compare frames for Jeremiah in the 3D application, which is only for that; seeing it on your own wall is a separate service. A gold frame repeats the golden vessel, dark wood the cave.

When will the painting be with me?

We paint Jeremiah to order and dispatch him within 15 to 45 working days; the parcel with Jeremiah travels customs-free across the EU. A photograph of the finished Jeremiah reaches you before dispatch; whatever you would like different, we correct, and our returns policy applies to every order.

For a reader, a theologian, a professor or someone who should choose the size, there is the wall art voucher.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the original Jeremiah?

In the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, object number SK-A-3276.

How old was Rembrandt?

Twenty-four; he painted it in 1630 in Leiden.

What is burning in the background?

Jerusalem, destroyed and burnt by the Babylonians.

Why was the old man taken for Lot?

The title is not from Rembrandt’s time; at an auction in 1767 he was described as Lot before burning Sodom.

Is your Jeremiah a print?

No, our Jeremiah is a hand-painted copy, painted with a brush in oil on canvas.

How big is the original?

It is 58 cm high and 46 cm wide. Our sizes run from 40 x 49 to 150 x 195 cm.

Which size suits a library?

Between shelves choose 48 x 60 or 60 x 78 cm, on a free wall 85 x 110 cm.

Who would like it as a gift?

Readers, teachers and anyone who loves quiet, thoughtful faces.

• Subject: an old prophet sits deep in thought in a cave beside the temple gold, while Jerusalem burns far below.
• Original: 1630, oil on panel, 58 x 46 cm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
• Ours: painted by hand in oil on canvas, in 8 portrait sizes from 40 x 49 to 150 x 195 cm or made to measure.
• Worth knowing: the edge of the prophet’s book reads BiBeL.