Clement de Jonghe, Printseller

Clement de Jonghe, Printseller is a masterful etching created by Rembrandt van Rijn Dutch, 1606-1669, in 1651. Executed on buff laid paper, this print captures the likeness of Clement de Jonghe (c. 1624-1677), a prominent printseller, publisher, and dealer in the Netherlands. The portrait genre was highly valued in the 17th-century Dutch Republic, and Rembrandt utilized the etching technique to achieve subtle variation in tone and texture that provided a more immediate and expressive result than traditional engraving.

Rembrandt excelled in the medium of etching, often manipulating the copper plate with tools like the burin or drypoint needle to achieve varying depths of shadow and highlight. The skillful handling of line in this piece defines De Jonghe’s features, emphasizing his serious and contemplative demeanor, making this portrait one of the artist's most psychologically rich prints. As a portrait of a print dealer, the work offers a unique perspective on the commercial and artistic ecosystem of Amsterdam. De Jonghe was known to have acquired and sold many of Rembrandt's own copper plates and prints, linking the sitter directly to the artist's professional output and the thriving commerce of art during the Dutch Golden Age.

The intimate scale and focus on the subject’s face rather than his trade paraphernalia emphasize his personality and status within the vibrant Dutch art market. This piece is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where scholars and the public can examine this essential representation of 17th-century Dutch culture and Rembrandt’s unparalleled mastery of graphic arts.