The Actor Willem Bartholsz Ruyter as King Ahasuerus on his Throne

The Actor Willem Bartholsz Ruyter as King Ahasuerus on his Throne is an expressive ink drawing created by Rembrandt van Rijn between 1635 and 1640. This work, executed on prepared paper, serves as a powerful example of the artist’s prolific explorations in spontaneous draftsmanship and theatrical portraiture during the Dutch Golden Age. The drawing captures Willem Bartholsz Ruyter, a prominent actor in Amsterdam’s contemporary theater scene, while he is performing the role of the Persian king Ahasuerus, a central figure in the Biblical Book of Esther.

In this piece, Rijn focuses on the weight and dignity of the costume and setting. Using dynamic, confident strokes of the pen, the artist renders the elaborate textiles of the king’s robes and the imposing structure of the throne, contrasting these elements with the actor's intense facial expression. The focus on costumed figures and character studies reflected Rijn’s broader artistic interest in tronies—expressive heads or character portraits—which bridged the gap between historical narrative and contemporary observation in the Netherlands.

The drawing technique underscores Rijn's mastery in defining volume and atmosphere through economical use of line and wash. This attention to psychological realism, even in a theatrical context, made Rijn a crucial reference for subsequent printmakers and graphic artists. This study of Ruyter is maintained within the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it contributes to a comprehensive documentation of seventeenth-century Dutch culture and art. As a celebrated example of a work on paper from this era, it is frequently reproduced, and high-quality prints of this masterwork are often made available through public domain initiatives.