Bedelaar, zittend in een leunstoel

Bedelaar, zittend in een leunstoel is an early print by Rembrandt van Rijn, dated 1629. Created on paper, this intimate study exemplifies the artist's growing mastery of etching techniques during his formative years in Leiden. While the specific technique details are key to understanding the texture and tone achieved on the paper medium, the work is firmly established among Rijn's initial experiments depicting figures from the lower strata of Dutch society. This focus on humble subjects, captured without idealization, was characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age realism that Rembrandt helped define.

The subject of the print is a solitary beggar, rendered seated in an armchair, suggesting a moment of uneasy rest or resignation. Rijn’s dramatic use of light and shadow, characteristic of his developing style, highlights the textures of the figure's worn clothing and the details of his aging face. Unlike highly finished commissions, this piece functions as a penetrating character study, capturing the dignity and vulnerability of the subject. Such early works featuring beggars and marginalized figures were essential exercises for the young artist, allowing him to explore human psychology and form through the economical lines achievable only in prints.

This particular impression of the work belongs to the esteemed collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which holds a comprehensive selection of Rijn's graphic output. Although his major oil paintings garner widespread fame, Rijn’s production of prints profoundly influenced subsequent generations of European artists. Due to the age and classification of this masterwork, high-quality images and related documentation are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring broad accessibility to the genius of the Dutch master's graphic art.