Jan Uytenbogaert

Jan Uytenbogaert is a celebrated print created by Rembrandt van Rijn between 1635 and 1637. This masterful portrait utilizes the complex techniques of etching and drypoint, allowing the artist to achieve a rich variety of texture and depth. Uytenbogaert, a respected Remonstrant preacher in Amsterdam, is captured in three-quarter profile, looking directly at the viewer. Rembrandt expertly employs hatching and cross-hatching to define the volume of the figure’s face and his clerical attire, characteristic of the formal portraiture aesthetic dominating the Dutch Golden Age.

The creation of this print falls within a highly productive period for Rembrandt, who was simultaneously developing his skills in both painted and printed portraits. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Rembrandt rarely employed professional printers, preferring to experiment directly with the etching plate and the drypoint needle. The drypoint elements, visible in the velvety lines and rich shadows, contribute significantly to the piece’s dramatic contrast and emotional weight. The resulting work is a powerful psychological study that goes beyond mere likeness, capturing the intelligence and gravity associated with one of Amsterdam's prominent religious figures.

As one of Rembrandt’s most famous printed portraits of men, Jan Uytenbogaert demonstrates the artist's enduring innovation in the graphic arts. This impression, renowned for its exceptional detail and condition, is housed within the prestigious collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to the historical impact and wide study of the original impressions, high-resolution prints derived from this seminal work are frequently made available to the public domain, ensuring its legacy as a key example of seventeenth-century Dutch printmaking.