Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
(Leiden 1606-1669 Amsterdam)
“Bald headed man in profile right; small bust, the artist’s father (?)”, 1630
etching on laid paper: 5,7 x 4,3 cm
signed in monogram and dated upper left: RL 1630.
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Notes
A very early etching by Rembrandt of a man widely believed to be the father of Rembrandt, however this cannot be said for certain. Rembrandt was only 24 years old when he etched this portrait. Rembrandt made several etchings of this same man, possibly his father, however this etching is regarded as one of the most rare with a rating from Nowell-Usticke RRR and the plate being lost or reworked.
During his lifetime, Rembrandt’s extraordinary skills as a printmaker were the main source of his international fame. Unlike his oil paintings, prints travelled light and were relatively cheap. For this reason, they soon became very popular with collectors not only within but also beyond the borders of the Netherlands.
Literature
Bartsch 294; The New Hollstein no. 61: Second state (of II)
Plate not in existence – with Nowell-Usticke (1967): RRR
Provenance
- Private collection, The Netherlands
- Bubb Kuyper, The Netherlands
- Private collection, The Netherlands