Sheet of studies of men's heads: man crying out, three quarters left: bust

The Sheet of studies of men's heads: man crying out, three quarters left: bust by Rembrandt van Rijn is an exceptional early example of the artist's dedication to mastering human emotion. Created around 1629, this small yet powerful work is classified as a print produced on paper, demonstrating Rijn's initial experimentation with graphic media. The composition is centered on a dramatic study of a man captured in a moment of intense vocal distress or sorrow.

These expressive studies, often referred to as tronies when depicting common people or exaggerated expressions, were critical to the Dutch master's training. They provided Rijn with a necessary visual vocabulary of human feeling that he would later utilize to enrich his large-scale history paintings and biblical scenes. During the Dutch Golden Age, artists frequently employed such prints and sketches to refine their ability to convey affect—the outward depiction of emotion.

The work focuses tightly on the subject's head and bust, utilizing the stark contrast inherent in the print medium to emphasize the deeply furrowed brow and open mouth of the distressed figure. This intense emphasis on psychological depth became a hallmark of Rijn’s mature artistic style. This particular study, sometimes known simply as the Man Crying Out, is housed in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, contributing to one of the world's most comprehensive holdings of the artist’s graphic works. As a historically significant piece, high-resolution reproductions and prints derived from this important work are often available within the public domain for scholarly research and public appreciation.