Old Man Shading His Eyes with His Hand

c. 1639

Rembrandt van Rijn

Associated Names
Rembrandt van Rijn

Artist, Dutch, 1606 - 1669

The image shows the upper body and head of a person in a seated position, with their head tilted back and covered by their arm. The person appears to have long hair or a hat that blends with the fur-like texture drawn on their shoulder. They are wearing a garment with a textured detail around the shoulder area. The person's hand is resting on their head, and the lines highlight the furrowed detail of the hand. The background is plain and unadorned, emphasizing the central figure with minimal distractions.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and drypoint on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    New Century Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 13.8 x 11.4 cm (5 7/16 x 4 1/2 in.)
    sheet: 13.9 x 11.6 cm (5 1/2 x 4 9/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1998.25.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    White/Boon 1969, no. 259, State only

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Mr. and Mrs. G.H. Mannhein; Joseph R. Ritman, Amsterdam; (purchased by Sotheby's and Artemis); purchased by NGA, 1998.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2001

  • The Unfinished Print, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2001, repro.

2004

  • The Unfinished Print, The Frick Collection, New York, 2004.

2006

  • Strokes of Genius: Rembrandt's Prints and Drawings, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Bibliography

1923

  • Hind, Arthur M. A Catalogue of Rembrandt's Etchings. London: Methuen and Co. Ltd., 1923.

1969

  • White, Christopher and Karel G. Boon. Rembrandt's Etchings. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Van Gendt & Co., 1969.

1993

  • The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts, 1450-1700. (Rembrandt, Erik Hinterding and Jaco Rutgers, authors). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. 175, state i/iii.

Watermarks

Crown (part of a coat-of-arms)

Wikidata ID

Q75406959

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