The Goldsmith

The Goldsmith, created by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1655, is a masterful example of the artist's late career printmaking. Classified as a print, the work utilizes the demanding combination of etching and drypoint. This technique allowed Rijn to achieve a rich variety of texture, from the fine, etched lines detailing the man's facial expression to the dense, velvety burr created by the drypoint needle in the surrounding shadow. Executed around the mid-point of the period 1651 to 1700, this piece of Dutch graphic art demonstrates the evolution of the artist’s style toward greater psychological depth and dramatic use of chiaroscuro.

The work centers on a solitary figure, presumably a goldsmith, leaning intently over his workbench. The composition is intimate and highly focused, illuminated by a concentrated light source that highlights the figure’s head and hands while plunging the background into deep shadow. Rijn’s skill in rendering tactile surfaces is evident in the precise depiction of the tools and the heavy concentration etched onto the subject’s face. Unlike some of his earlier, more narrative pieces, this print emphasizes the interiority and specific expertise of the sitter, reflecting the Dutch fascination with individual craftsmanship. Rijn was renowned for elevating the medium of prints to the level of painting, treating his copper plates with the same expressive freedom as a canvas.

This exceptional example of Dutch draftsmanship resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. The subtle gradations of tone and the powerful, immediate presence of the figure secure The Goldsmith as a critical work within Rijn’s extensive body of graphic art. Given its age and cultural importance, high-resolution reproductions of these historically significant prints are frequently made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring the enduring study of Rembrandt’s unparalleled contribution to the art of the print during the Golden Age.