Ragged peasant with his hands behind him, holding a stick

The print, Ragged peasant with his hands behind him, holding a stick, created by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1630, exemplifies the artist's intense focus on genre studies and expressive character depictions during his formative period in Leiden. Executed on paper, this work showcases the artist’s mastery of etching, a technique he was rapidly developing to achieve rich texture and atmospheric depth. The small-scale study focuses on the subject's posture and worn appearance, characteristic of the many depictions of beggars and common folk Rijn produced in the early 1630s.

The subject is a solitary man whose tattered clothing and humble bearing emphasize his low social status. His hands are placed behind his back, subtly holding the stick referenced in the title, a typical accessory for a traveler or beggar of the period. Rijn utilizes distinct contrasts of light and shadow, known as chiaroscuro, highlighting the man’s expressive face while allowing the rest of his figure to remain sketchier, emphasizing psychological depth over detailed anatomical rendering. This observational approach distinguishes Rijn’s contribution to Dutch Golden Age art, treating figures of the lower class with dignity and complex internal life.

This compelling character study is preserved today within the prestigious collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The artistic complexity packed into this modest format demonstrates why Rijn quickly established himself as one of Europe’s foremost printmakers. Since the original materials for many of these early graphic works are now classified as being in the public domain, high-quality impressions and reference prints continue to be essential resources for studying the nuances of the artist's evolving technique.