Self- Portrait in a Velvet Cap with Plume

Rembrandt van Rijn is one of the greatest etchers. In this self-portrait he depicts himself in a flamboyant 16th-century costume. The fur-lined coat and feathered hat show him in princely attire--perhaps provoking associations with renaissance portraits. In any case, in this etching the artist portrays himself as confident and at the peak of his prosperity; in later self- portraits he more often depicts himself as an artist. This print shows off Rembrandt's virtuosity as an etcher, his technique here is exquisite in its detail and this delicacy is of a piece with the small scale of the work.

Katherine Welch '21

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