Three Heads of Women, One Asleep

"Three Heads of Women, One Asleep" by Rembrandt van Rijn, created in 1637, is a compelling study of character rendered through the medium of etching. This small-scale work dates firmly within the period of 1601 to 1650, the height of the Dutch Golden Age, and exemplifies Rijn's mastery of printmaking during this era.

The composition focuses intimately on the varying emotional and physical states of three anonymous female subjects. One head is shown awake, gazing outward with relatively sharp detail, characteristic of Rijn’s observational studies. The central figure is depicted profoundly asleep, her features softened and relaxed in repose, providing a contrast to the intensity often found in Rijn’s portraits. A third figure, loosely sketched and partially obscured, suggests a preliminary or exploratory study of expression rather than a finished character profile. As was typical for Rijn’s prints, the composition emphasizes capturing ephemeral emotional states and serves as a precursor to the 17th-century fascination with tronies, or character heads.

Rijn’s innovative approach to etching allowed him to achieve a fluid, spontaneous quality reminiscent of rapid sketching, combined with nuanced control over shadow and light. Unlike many contemporaries, Rijn frequently utilized drypoint alongside the traditional etching process to enrich the texture and achieve profound tonal variation, giving Three Heads of Women, One Asleep remarkable presence despite its modest size. The delicate cross-hatching and varied line weight demonstrate the technical sophistication Rijn brought to the production of Dutch prints.

This important graphic work is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a key example of the artist’s prolific output. As one of the preeminent Dutch masters, Rijn’s contribution to the arts between 1601 and 1650 remains central to art history, and the detailed study of these historic prints continues today, often facilitated by public domain access to high-resolution images.