An Officer Holding a Ceremonial Sword

An Officer Holding a Ceremonial Sword by the School of Rembrandt van Rijn is a profound drawing created during the mid-seventeenth century, dated specifically to 1640-1649. This period marks the apex of the Dutch Golden Age, a time when dramatic portraiture and expressive figure studies documenting prominent members of society, particularly men, flourished across the Netherlands.

The work is executed using pen and brush and brown inks, allowing for a highly expressive and dynamic application of light and shadow. The pen defines the essential contours of the officer’s face, uniform, and the detailed hilt of the ceremonial sword, while the broad application of the brush with wash creates soft, atmospheric shadows. This technique, characterized by its reliance on strong contrasts and immediacy, is a clear stylistic trait inherited from the teachings of Rijn himself. The figure is rendered with an immediacy that suggests the drawing may have functioned as a swift life study, capturing a specific character type destined for a larger history painting or a militia portrait.

The subject, an unnamed officer, holds his ceremonial sword, signifying authority and social standing. The depth of character and psychological complexity captured in the drawing reflect the master’s interest in human emotion, a quality carefully emulated by his surrounding school. The medium classification as a drawing indicates it served either as a finished study or a detailed preparatory sketch, valuable documentation of studio practice from this significant decade. This exceptional piece is permanently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a historically important drawing, high-quality prints and digital reproductions derived from the museum’s documentation are frequently made available to the public domain for scholarly research and appreciation.