As young artists, Rembrandt and Lievens shared a workshop in Leiden. Lievens painted his friend wearing a metal gorget and a beret. Rembrandt also portrayed himself in the same outfit a number of times during this period. In this little painting Lievens not only recorded his friend’s likeness, but also imitated his style, adopting Rembrandt’s characteristic dark colours, powerful contrasts of light and shade and tiny scratches in the paint.