Old Man with Beard, Fur Cap, and Velvet Cloak

The influential print Old Man with Beard, Fur Cap, and Velvet Cloak by Rembrandt van Rijn dates from the pivotal decade of 1626-1636. This particular impression is an etching, representing the highly detailed third state of the plate. Rembrandt’s early career in Leiden and Amsterdam was marked by intense experimentation with printmaking techniques, particularly etching, which allowed him to achieve nuanced tonal effects and dramatic contrasts of light and shadow essential to the Baroque sensibility.

The subject is one of the artist's many expressive character studies of elderly figures. He is notable for his rich, textured attire-a fur cap and a heavy velvet cloak-which provided the artist an excellent opportunity to display his virtuosity in rendering distinct materials through delicate line work and controlled hatching. Although tagged as portraits, many such studies by Rembrandt functioned more as tronies—expressive heads used to explore psychological depth, costume, and dramatic illumination, rather than as specific commissioned likenesses. During this period, Rembrandt frequently utilized models, often older men, to perfect these technical skills in his prints.

This piece showcases Rembrandt's profound ability to convey presence and character even in a small-scale format. While many of the artist's celebrated oil paintings define the Dutch Golden Age, his large body of prints remains equally significant to art history. This specific example resides in the comprehensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. High-resolution images of influential historical prints like this are sometimes made available to the public domain through major institutional digitization projects.