Rembrandt’s Mother
Medium
etching
Dimensions
63; 65
About this artwork
monogram en datum, rechtsboven: ‘RHL 1628’
Art Historical Context
In 1628, at just 22 years old, Rembrandt van Rijn created *Rembrandt’s Mother*, a tender etching measuring a mere 65mm by 63mm—small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Signed with his monogram "RHL" (for Rembrandt Harmensz van Leiden) and the date in the upper right, this intimate portrait captures his mother, Neeltgen van Zuytbrouck, gazing thoughtfully. Produced during his early years in Leiden, it reflects the Dutch Golden Age's emphasis on personal and domestic subjects amid a booming market for affordable prints. As one of Rembrandt's earliest etchings, it showcases his budding geni...
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...