Jan Asselijn

The compelling print Jan Asselijn, created by the master artist Rembrandt van Rijn in 1647, is a prime example of 17th-century Dutch portraiture rendered in the medium of etching. This piece showcases Rijn’s unparalleled command of complex graphic arts techniques, utilizing etching as the primary structuring method, further enriched by the textural intensity of drypoint and the precision of the burin for specific details. The combination allows for a wide range of tonal variation, moving skillfully from crisp, defined etched lines to soft, velvety drypoint burr, especially noticeable in the treatment of the subject's cloak and the surrounding atmosphere.

Created during the peak of the Dutch Golden Age, a prolific artistic period spanning 1601 to 1650, this portrait captures the likeness of the contemporary painter Jan Asselijn, known primarily for his Italianate landscape paintings and his association with the Bamboccianti group. Rijn was highly celebrated for his insightful and empathetic approach to portraiture, treating his sitters with a deep psychological acuity rarely matched by his peers. In this work, Rijn emphasizes Asselijn’s intellectual or contemplative nature, achieving an immediacy that suggests the original plate was prepared from life. The intense realism and delicate layering of ink illustrate why Rijn remains renowned as one of history’s greatest printmakers.

Classified specifically as a fine print, the work Jan Asselijn holds an important place within the graphic arts collection of the National Gallery of Art. This impression of the etching, definitively dated to 1647, provides crucial insight into the artistic circle that flourished in the Dutch Republic during the mid-1640s. As a historically significant piece now residing in a major public institution, this foundational image is frequently utilized by researchers studying Dutch prints, and high-resolution reproductions are often made available through the public domain for detailed academic study and reference.