Jan Antonides van der Linden

Jan Antonides van der Linden is a print created by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1665, near the end of the artist’s prolific career. Executed on paper, this work demonstrates the artist’s profound mastery of graphic media, specifically utilizing the nuanced capabilities of etching and drypoint. These printmaking techniques were central to Rijn’s output during the mid-17th century, allowing him to achieve intense tonal variations and textural depth rarely seen in the work of his contemporaries.

This piece is a dignified portrait of the subject, Jan Antonides van der Linden (1609–1664), a renowned Dutch physician, botanist, and professor at Leiden University. The work was produced posthumously, serving as a lasting tribute to the scholar’s professional and intellectual prominence during the Dutch Golden Age. Rijn specialized in capturing the complex character and psychological intensity of his sitters, and this specific print exemplifies the deeply humanizing quality characteristic of the artist's final period of portraiture. The subtle interplay of light and shadow highlights the sitter's intellectual gravitas.

As one of the significant prints remaining from the artist’s late career, this graphic work is securely held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It stands as a pivotal example of 17th-century Dutch portrait prints. Due to its historical importance and age, high-resolution reproductions of the artwork, Jan Antonides van der Linden, are broadly accessible for academic study and research, affirming its status as a critical piece in the public domain.