Self-Portrait Etching at a Window

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

No artist has probed the potential of self-portraiture with greater tenacity and variety than Rembrandt . Over the course of his long career, he made over 80 self-portraits in oil, in chalk, in pen and ink and wash, and in etching. A large portion of these self-examinations were created while he was a young man, and served to spread his fame, his name and image, while advertising his abilities in portraiture and dramatic expression. But perhaps Rembrandt's most soul-searching and moving images date from the end of his career, characteristically, his self-scrutiny was first considered carefully in etching, before being pursued in painting. Unpretentious, the image Self Portrait at a Window, Drawing on an Etching-Plate reflects a traditional portrait type used since the 15th century. Not striking a pose, the artist is caught in the middle of his most intimate and natural activity, etching on a plate resting on a folded piece of cloth on top of several books. In this particularly fine impression of the finished print, Rembrandt's gaze rivets the viewer with a soul-searching energy that seems capable of fueling his late, great painted investigations. Noted Rembrandt scholar Mariët West

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