Jan Uytenbogaert, “The Goldweigher”

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This print of the tax collector Jan Uytenbogaert marks one of Rembrandt van Rijn’s first uses of drypoint, not as a corrective tool but as a supplement to an etching. Here the technique accentuates the velvety quality of the sitter’s rich fur garment. Rembrandt presented the man as a noble and meticulous professional, while simultaneously hinting at his true nature: Uytenbogaert, seated in the midst of an office complete with a fine oil painting and a rich tablecloth, reaches out to the bag of gold presented to him, his hand grasping it in an almost lascivious manner.

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