Lieven Willemsz van Coppenol

Lieven Willemsz van Coppenol by Rembrandt van Rijn, dating to 1658, stands as a premier example of the artist’s mastery of graphic media. This print, executed on paper, captures the sitter, Lieven Willemsz van Coppenol, a celebrated calligrapher and schoolmaster in seventeenth-century Amsterdam. The work is characteristic of Rijn’s later style, favoring complex textures achieved through drypoint and etching techniques, which allow for profound variations in tonality and depth.

Rijn meticulously details Coppenol's distinctive features, emphasizing his intellectual status while simultaneously conveying deep psychological insight. The printmaking skill exhibited in this portrait is highly sophisticated, demonstrating how the artist used varying line weights and selective inking to manipulate light and shadow, highlighting the calligrapher’s absorbed state. Coppenol was a significant figure in the cultural life of the Dutch Golden Age, known for the beauty and precision of his handwriting. Rijn’s decision to depict the subject reflects the high prestige associated with literary and intellectual pursuits within the Netherlands during this period.

This dignified representation conveys the quiet intensity of the elderly master, deeply engrossed in his thoughts or perhaps contemplating his craft. Today, this iconic image is preserved in the prestigious collection of the Rijksmuseum. Due to the number of impressions made during and shortly after the artist's lifetime, these celebrated prints are widely studied by historians and collectors. The enduring artistic popularity of this late masterpiece means that high-resolution images are often available through public domain initiatives, ensuring the accessibility of Rijn's powerful artistic legacy.