Four Men Standing, Wearing Hats

"Four Men Standing, Wearing Hats" is a characteristic drawing by Rembrandt van Rijn, executed around 1650. This historical drawing, created using chalk on paper, captures four male figures clustered together, each distinguished primarily by the shape and style of their headwear, typical of middle-class attire during the mid-17th century. As a study rather than a finished piece, the work highlights Rijn’s direct and immediate approach to sketching, relying on quick, economical lines and subtle shadowing to define mass and form.

Created during the latter half of the artist's career, this artwork belongs to the rich tradition of figure studies made in the Netherlands during the Dutch Golden Age. Rijn was known for using such drawings as a way to practice human expression and structure, often utilizing sitters or models to capture the lived reality of the figures he later depicted in his paintings and etchings. The quick, skilled handling of the chalk medium demonstrates the artist’s technical facility and his ability to quickly convey volume and posture without needing extensive detail.

The importance of this particular drawing rests both in its clear attribution to the master and its preservation of a moment in 17th-century European life. This significant piece resides within the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Because of the age and medium, the work frequently appears in curated exhibitions focused on Baroque preparatory sketches. Today, high-quality digital reproductions of the drawing, sometimes used for fine art prints, are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring broad access to the drawing techniques employed by Rijn.