Lieven Willemsz. van Coppenol, writing master: the smaller plate

Lieven Willemsz. van Coppenol, writing master: the smaller plate by Rembrandt van Rijn, created in 1658, is a significant example of the artist’s mature printmaking career. This classification of this work is an exemplary piece of graphic art, executed on paper, capturing one of the most celebrated figures in Amsterdam’s intellectual and commercial circles of the mid-17th century.

The work functions as a sensitive portrait of the writing master, who was renowned for his elegant calligraphy and pedagogy. Rijn utilized etching and drypoint techniques to achieve rich textural variation, emphasizing light and shadow to bring immediacy to his subject's demeanor and the specific tools of his trade. As indicated by the title, this is the smaller of two distinct plates Rijn executed depicting Van Coppenol. The concentration required for this meticulous art form is palpable in Coppenol’s focused gaze, illustrating the high regard 17th-century Dutch society held for skilled penmanship.

This exceptional example of Dutch Golden Age portraiture and Rijn’s profound skill in graphic media is held in the renowned collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Rijn’s prolific output of prints constitutes one of the most influential bodies of graphic work in art history, and this piece remains essential viewing for scholars examining the artist’s late period style. Because of its historical age and stature, high-quality images of this masterwork are frequently available through public domain archives, allowing broad access to the work of this iconic artist.