Ephraim Bonus

Ephraim Bonus, created by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1647, is a significant example of the artist’s prolific graphic output during the Dutch Golden Age. Classified as a print, the work was executed using a complex combination of etching, drypoint, and burin techniques. This demanding process allowed Rijn to achieve exceptional tonal variations and rich, deep textures on the copper plate, particularly visible in the subtle transitions of shadow and light that define the figure.

The figure depicted is Ephraim Bonus, a prominent Jewish physician and surgeon known to Rijn in Amsterdam. The image is less a formal portrait and more an intimate character study, capturing the subject mid-action as he walks up a flight of stairs. Created near the end of the period spanning 1601 to 1650, this piece demonstrates the technical and observational maturity of the Dutch master. Rijn’s masterful control of drypoint creates a velvety darkness, emphasizing the immediacy of the moment and drawing the viewer’s attention to the physician’s expressive face.

This essential work of Dutch graphic art is preserved in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work’s dramatic flair and psychological depth highlight Rijn’s commitment to naturalism, a hallmark of his artistic production. The high quality and detail present in his prints secured his reputation across Europe during his lifetime and beyond. As a key example from the Golden Age of Dutch art, this etching has been widely studied and reproduced. Today, high-resolution digital copies of Rijn’s masterworks are often made accessible to the global community, ensuring its continued study and placing the image within the growing catalog of art entering the public domain.