Peasant with his hands behind his back
Medium
etching
Dimensions
60; 50
About this artwork
collector's mark: Lugt 240
Art Historical Context
In the intimate world of Rembrandt van Rijn's early etchings, *Peasant with His Hands Behind His Back* (1629) stands a captivating miniature. Measuring just 60mm high by 50mm wide, this etching captures a humble figure in a moment of quiet introspection, hands clasped behind the back—a pose evoking everyday resilience amid 17th-century Dutch life. Created when Rembrandt was only 23 and still in Leiden, it reflects his burgeoning genius for portraying ordinary people with profound dignity. Rembrandt revolutionized etching during the Dutch Golden Age, blending precise lines with innovative use ...
About the Artist
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...