Man in a Square Cap, in Profile to the Right

Man in a Square Cap, in Profile to the Right is a compelling print created by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1629. Executed on paper, this detailed early work showcases the artist’s burgeoning skill in the demanding field of printmaking during his productive Leiden period. The composition focuses intimately on a man depicted in precise profile facing the right margin. He is characterized by a high, distinctive square cap that frames his head, suggesting the attire of a specific social type common in Dutch society during the nascent years of the Golden Age.

This early piece demonstrates Rijn’s acute ability to achieve profound psychological presence and textural detail using only black ink on paper. Although simple in its structure, the profile view emphasizes the sitter’s strong features, a characteristic approach the artist often utilized in his studies known as tronies, where expressive faces were explored for their dramatic potential rather than as commissioned portraits. Created before Rijn relocated permanently to Amsterdam, the work reveals the technical refinement that would soon define his iconic etching output. The subtle play of shadow and light, achieved through careful manipulation of line and cross-hatching, anticipates the dramatic chiaroscuro and tonal variations found in his later graphic masterpieces.

As one of the significant early prints produced by the Dutch master, Man in a Square Cap, in Profile to the Right is an essential document of Rijn's developing career and his mastery of the expressive potential of line. The original print is currently held in the esteemed collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it forms part of the institution’s comprehensive holdings of 17th-century prints and drawings.