Lopende man met hoge muts

Lopende man met hoge muts by Rembrandt van Rijn, created circa 1655-1660, is a masterful example of the artist’s mature drawing style. Executed simply in ink on paper, this sketch demonstrates the economical yet highly expressive line work characteristic of the artist’s output during the final decade of his career. Dating to the later period of the Dutch Golden Age, this classification of drawing highlights the artist’s continuous reliance on preparatory sketches and spontaneous figure studies, even as his commissions and personal circumstances grew complicated.

In this piece, Rijn focuses intently on capturing a momentary observation of a figure in motion. The subject, identified by his distinctive tall cap and quick stride, is rendered swiftly, defining the structure and direction with minimal yet powerful strokes. The technique, utilizing ink on paper, allows the artist to focus entirely on defining mass and direction, utilizing stark contrasts between dark lines and the light paper support. This rapid approach was fundamental to Rijn’s artistic practice, allowing him to quickly experiment with poses and compositions that often served as preliminary ideas for his renowned copper prints and large-scale oil paintings. The spontaneous quality suggests the work may have been either an independent character study or an initial thought for a complex narrative scene.

As a vital study from the later years of the artist, this work offers crucial insight into the working methods of the Netherlands’ most revered visual master. The drawing resides within the prestigious collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Because of the cultural and historical significance of Rijn’s oeuvre, high-quality digital prints of this drawing are often made available to the public under public domain licenses, ensuring widespread access to the creative genius of this 17th-century Dutch master.