Jan Asselijn, Painter (Krabbetje)
ca. 1646
Medium
Etching, drypoint, and burin; second of seven states
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 8 5/8 × 6 3/4 in. (21.9 × 17.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, 1950
Accession Number
50.583.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt vanijn captured the spirited likeness of fellow painter Jan Asselijn, nicknamed "Krabbetje" (Little Scribbler), in this etching from around 1646. This intimate portrait exemplifies Rembrandt's mastery of printmaking during his Amsterdam years, when he frequently depicted artists, scholars, and everyday figures with remarkable psychological depth. Asselijn, a landscape painter known for his Italianate scenes, appears here as a lively character, hat tilted jauntily, embodying the camaraderie of the era's vibrant art scene. Crafted in etching, dryp...
About the Artist
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) · 1606–1669
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669) stands as one of the greatest visual artists in the history of Western art and the most important Dutch painter of the 17th century. Born in Leiden to a prosperous miller's family, Rembrandt transformed painting through his revolutionary use of light and shadow, his psychological depth in portraiture, and his elevation of etching to a fine art. His approx...