Rembrandt’s Paintbrush

Rembrandt often used his thumb to soften brush strokes and apply dabs of paint. This practice has always been popular with certain artists. Leonardo da Vinci was known to both use his thumb for painting, and to leave a thumbprint near the edge as a kind of signature. An original Leonardo was discovered in Rome in 2005 when his thumbprint was found on a picture never suspected before of being a Leonardo. Many artists since have used this common practice, including Australia’s own Syd Nolan, but it has always, since Rembrandt’s time gone by his famous name.