Oude bedelares met kalebas

Oude bedelares met kalebas is a powerful, intimate study created by the Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn between 1628 and 1632. Classified within the Rijksmuseum’s collection as a Book entry, this work executed on paper is highly characteristic of Rijn’s early exploration into the lives of common people, often serving as preparatory studies for prints or paintings. During this crucial period in Leiden, the artist frequently turned his attention to figures from the margins of society, using their aged faces and expressive gestures as vehicles for artistic study.

The piece depicts an old beggar woman holding a gourd, an object historically associated with itinerants or those collecting food. The strength of the image lies in Rijn’s ability to imbue the figure with dignity and pathos through economical yet highly expressive use of line. The texture of worn clothing and the deep creases of her face reflect the artist’s dedication to psychological realism, a hallmark that defined his revolutionary approach to portraiture and genre scenes during the Dutch Golden Age. These character studies, or tronies, allowed Rijn to hone his skills in depicting human emotion and the effects of time, techniques that would become central to his ambitious later works.

This significant image, housed within the extensive holdings of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, contributes essential documentation to the scope of Rijn’s output beyond traditional oil painting. While technically categorized as a print or drawing associated with a bound volume, the image of Oude bedelares met kalebas is recognized among the defining sketches and prints from his early career. As a foundational work of art history, this piece often falls within the public domain, ensuring that these early studies by Rijn remain accessible globally for scholarly research and the creation of high-quality prints.