Rembrandts Titus in a Monks Habit (1660) is in Hartford, Conn. On loan from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the painting is on view at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art through April 30. Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), recognized as one of the most important artists of his time and considered by many to be one of the greatest painters in European history, painted his teenage son in the guise of a monk at a crucial moment in his late career when he was revamping his business as a painter and recovering from bankruptcy. It has been 53 years since this painting has been on view in the United States, making this a rare opportunity for visitors to experience a late portrait by the Dutch master among the collection of Baroque art at the Wadsworth, renowned for its standout paintings by Rembrandts southern European contemporaries, Zurbarn, Oratio Gentileschi, and Caravaggio. While this painting has been infrequently seen in America, it exemplifies the dramatic use of light and dark to express human emotion for which Rembrandts late works are especially prized. Titus in a Monks Habit is an important painting. It opens questions about the artists career, his use of traditional subjects, and the bold technique that has won him enduring fame, said Oliver Tostmann, Susan Morse Hilles Curator of European Art at the Wadsworth. With his son in the role of a poor monk, it is a heart-wrenching interpretation of the human condition and an echo of the familys humbled economic state. Titus, born in 1641, was the fourth and only surviving child of Rembrandt and his first wife, Saskia, who soon died. Within a few years, Rembrandts family life turned destitute and hard. In the painting, Titus is draped in a dark brown hooded cloak, his eyes downcast, his face bathed in light. It is a superb example of a visual expression of quietness, tranquil meditation, musing recollection, a portrayal of a whole cluster of human emotional tones. Rembrandts path to becoming an acclaimed painter began at the young age of 14 when he entered the workshop of Jacob Isaacszoon van Swanenburgh in Leiden. By 1631, he moved to Amsterdam to the home of art merchant Hendrick Uylenburgh, where he becomes famous for his portrait paintings, eventually gaining much praise by his contemporaries for his interpretations of biblical stories with emotional qualities. At this time, Rembrandt also met Uylenburghs cousin, Saskia, who he married a few years later. At the height of his success Rembrandt borrowed heavily to purchase a large, fashionable townhouse filled with art and books, creating a debt that would later figure in his financial problems. In the months after Titus was born, Saskia died, probably of tuberculosis, and a period of monetary and personal struggles began for the artist. In 1660, when Titus in a Monks Habit was painted, Rembrandt was living with his longtime lover and companion Hendrickje Stoffels, their daughter Cornelia (b. 1654), and Titus in a modest rented property in a tough neighborhood in Amsterdam. It was at this time that Hendrickje and Titus set up a business with Rembrandt as the sole employee to shield him from his creditors. From this art shop, Hendrickje and Titus sold Rembrandts works. Amsterdam and Naples have long been understood as the two dominant urban centers of the early 1600s. Welcoming this icon of Rembrandts later career to New England is a major opportunity to experience his work amid one of the great Baroque collections in North America, stated Thomas J. Loughman, director and CEO of the Wadsworth. On Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28, at 2 p.m., the film Rembrandt will be screened. Every Rembrandt exhibition is eagerly anticipated, but Rembrandt: The Late Works, which was on view at the National Gallery in London and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in 2014 and 2015, was an event like no other. Given exclusive, privileged access to both galleries, the film documented this landmark exhibition while interweaving Rembrandts life story with behind-the-scenes preparations at these world-famous institutions. Preceded on both days will be a 1 p.m., gallery talk free with film admission. About the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art Founded in 1842 with a vision for infusing art into the American experience, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is home to a collection of nearly 50,000 works of art spanning 5,000 years and encompassing European art from antiquity through contemporary as well as American art from the 1600s to today. The Wadsworth Atheneums five connected buildings representing architectural styles including Gothic Revival, modern International Style, and 1960s Brutalism are located at 600 Main St. in Hartford, Conn. To learn more, call 860-278-2670 or visit www.thewadsworth.org.