Jan Asselijn, Painter (Krabbetje)

Jan Asselijn, Painter (Krabbetje) is an influential print created by Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) between 1641 and 1651. This iconic portrait of a contemporary is executed using a sophisticated combination of etching, drypoint, and burin, methods that the artist championed during the Dutch Golden Age. The specific impression held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art is documented as the fifth state out of seven known iterations, a detail that underscores Rembrandt’s intensive process of refining his copper plates for nuanced effects.

The subject of this masterful print is Jan Asselijn (c. 1610-1652), a fellow landscape painter who earned the peculiar nickname 'Krabbetje' (Little Crab), reportedly due to a physical disability affecting his gait. Rembrandt captures Asselijn in a contemplative and engaged pose, demonstrating the artist's enduring interest in psychological depth within his portraits of men. The extensive use of drypoint is notable, allowing Rembrandt to achieve rich, textural blacks and velvety lines essential for conveying the immediacy of the moment and the subject’s expression.

This piece serves as a key example of the artistic exchange among prominent figures in 17th-century Amsterdam. As one of the most celebrated prints in the history of graphic arts, this portrait resides within the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its renown ensures that high-quality reproductions of this work often circulate in the public domain, offering broad access to Rembrandt’s influential contributions to portraiture and the printmaking medium.