How did Rembrandt use impasto in his late paintings?

In his late paintings, Rembrandt utilized impasto—the application of thick, locally applied paint—as a deliberate technique to create light-reflecting surfaces in the lighter foreground passages of his works.1

This approach, which he began developing around 1645 and fully embraced from the early 1650s onward, was influenced by the style of the late Titian. By building up pigment in these areas, Rembrandt achieved a textured quality that effectively captured light, contributing to the "late style" that defined his final decades.12

While this technique was highly innovative, it also drew criticism from some of his younger contemporaries, who were increasingly influenced by the rise of Classicism and its preference for smoother, more idealized surfaces. These critics, judging his work by new ideological standards, disparagingly referred to his thick, textured application of paint as "dung". Despite such contemporary disapproval, Rembrandt’s mastery of impasto remains a hallmark of his ability to manipulate the physical qualities of paint to enhance the vitality and light-filled atmosphere of his compositions.132