The First Oriental Head

1635

Rembrandt van Rijn and Studio of Rembrandt van Rijn after Jan Lievens

Associated Names
Rembrandt van Rijn

Artist, Dutch, 1606 - 1669

Rembrandt van Rijn

Related Artist, Dutch, 1606 - 1669

Jan Lievens

Artist After, Dutch, 1607 - 1674

The etching depicts the upper portion of a man's body, mostly from the shoulders up. The man is positioned facing slightly to the right but looking directly at the viewer. He has a weathered face with deep wrinkles and prominent cheekbones. His expression appears contemplative. His hair is short and sparse on top, with a slight fringe on his forehead. He wears a cloak with a fur collar, buttoned at the front, and a beaded chain hangs around his neck. The background is simple, composed of cross-hatched lines and a plain, textured surface that accentuates the figure. Above the man's head, the etching is signed with "Rembrandt. Perrettus" and the year "1635" handwritten in a cursive style.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching, with some drypoint

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Accession Number

    1944.8.37

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    White/Boon 1969, no. 286, State ii/iii


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Harris G. Whittemore (Lugt 1384a); Lessing Julius Rosenwald (Lugt 1760b) purchased from Richard Zinser; given to the National Gallery of Art 1944

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1966

  • Masters of Etching and Engraving from the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection, Lakeview Center for the Arts and Sciences, Peoria, IL, 1966, no. 99.

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. 149, state ii/v.

Wikidata ID

Q65024923

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