Sheet with Two Studies: A Tree and the Upper Part of a Head of Rembrandt Wearing a Velvet Cap
ca. 1642
Medium
Etching; only state
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/16 x 2 9/16 in. (7.8 x 6.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1970
Accession Number
1970.705
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of Rembrandt van Rijn prolific etching career around 1642, this intimate sheet captures two masterful studies: a gnarled tree, evoking nature's resilient forms, and the upper half of the artist's own head, adorned with a velvet cap. during Rembrandt's Amsterdam years—a peak of his Baroque mastery—this small work (just 3 x 2.5 inches) exemplifies his fascination with light, texture, and self-exploration. The tree's twisted branches contrast beautifully with the thoughtful gaze and soft shadows on his face, blending landscape and portraiture in a single, economical composition. As ...
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...