The Old Bearded Man in a High Fur Cap, with Eyes Closed (ca. 1635, Met-Objekt 5273)
Original title: The Old Bearded Man in a High Fur Cap, with Eyes Closed
kurzbeschreibung
This etching by Rembrandt van Rijn, made around 1635, presents an old man with a full beard and a tall, fur-trimmed hat, his eyes closed. The print sets the man's face against a plain background, drawing all attention to the head.
Description
A tall, fluffy hat and a dark garment are worn by the sitter; dense stubble covers his face. Closed eyes, subdued light on the countenance, which thereby gains depth and structure. The lines are detailed and vary in strength, so that skin and fabric stand out plastically. In the upper left, the name 'Rembrandt' is written by hand; in the lower left, a single 'R'.
Context
The etching was made around 1635 in Leiden or Amsterdam, during a phase in which Rembrandt experimented intensively with drypoint and etching. Old men with exotic headwear recur frequently in his work, often as studies of facial expression and light. In seventeenth-century Dutch art, such prints were called 'tronies'—portrait studies that present not a specific person but a type or a mood.
Impact
The closed eyes and soft light give the portrait something thoughtful, almost meditative. The differentiated linework creates a remarkable liveliness and texture and draws the viewer into the details of the face. Because the background remains empty, attention is directed entirely to the man's personality.
Technique
For this etching, the lines were incised into a metal plate and etched with acid. Rembrandt worked with varying line strengths and spacing to create shading and textures. The fine lines and precise needlework are characteristic of his printmaking in those years.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)